I'm Coming With You
by madaquarius
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia moved to Crocus to start over after Fairy Tail had disbanded. With her new job as a model for Sorcerer Magazine, she seemed to be doing okay with her life. Then, she met a few of her old comrades in the city—and she never imagined that certain events would lead her to open up her heart to love and romance. [Laxus x Lucy]
1. Chapter 1

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**_Hi! I made a lot of revisions and might still revise some of the chapters. Just minor tweaks, really, until I'm pleased with my work._** **_Enjoy_****_ and thanks for reading!_**

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**Chapter 1: Romance Lessons**

After Master Makarov had disbanded the Fairy Tail guild, Lucy Heartfilia tried to pick up the pieces and forge a new path like everyone else. Thanks to Jason, she landed a job at Sorcerer Magazine as a model. It wasn't exactly her cup of tea, but it made good money.

Moving to Crocus was one of Lucy's ways to heal her broken Fairy Tail heart. When she found a new apartment in the city, she fell in love with it right away. It was much larger than the one she used to reside in Magnolia. The only problem was that she found her landlord to be the scariest man alive, so she always did her best to pay her rent on time.

It was already nightfall when the celestial mage arrived in her apartment after a tiring day at the photo studio. She had ordered a sandwich takeout from a snack bar nearby because she felt too drained to cook dinner. After setting her meal on her kitchen table, she sat down and sighed. For some reason, she didn't feel like eating.

"Maybe I should take a shower first," she told herself, drumming her fingers on the table.

She got up and headed toward the bathroom. She stepped into the tub and turned on the shower after she had tossed her dirty clothes in the laundry basket and put her celestial gate keys on top of a small cabinet. Moments later, she applied shampoo on her blonde mane and rubbed a floral-scented soap all over her body.

While Lucy was rinsing, she thought she heard a knock on her apartment door. Feeling doubtful, she switched off the shower and tried to listen. There was nothing but silence.

Did her tired mind play tricks on her? She got out of the tub and then slipped into her bathrobe. Grabbing her celestial gate keys, she tiptoed toward the main door of her apartment and yanked it open to check if there was really someone outside.

"Hey, how's it going, Lucy?" came a girlish drawl.

Lucy stared at the voluptuous figure in front of her. The girl had thick wavy brown hair and wore a checkered bikini top, white capri pants, and red sandals. A Fairy Tail emblem was unmistakable on the left side of her smoothly tanned stomach.

"Cana, it's you!"

"You bet," Cana Alberona chuckled, waving a glittering card on her hand. "My tarot card showed me your location, so I thought I'd drop by."

"I'm so glad to see you!" Lucy exclaimed happily. She gave her old comrade a tight hug and then motioned for her to enter the apartment. "Please make yourself at home. Would you like something to eat?"

"That would be great. Thanks." The magic card user grinned as she stepped into the room. "Wow, blondie, this is a cool apartment!"

"Thanks," the celestial mage said. "Oh, wait, hang on. Let me just change into something first, okay?"

"Take your time, blondie."

Lucy ran into her bedroom and quickly changed into a pair of comfortable clothes. Moments later, she hurried back in the main room and found Cana seated on the couch.

"So, what brings you to Crocus, Cana?" The blonde brought her a sandwich plate from the kitchen table.

"Bacchus invited me for another round of drinking match," the brunette told her, helping herself to a sandwich. "You remember him from Quatro Cerberus, yeah?"

"Yeah, of course," Lucy recalled, nodding. Then, she frowned as she placed the sandwich plate on the coffee table in front of them. "Wait, you're not going out with him, are you?"

"What if I am?" Cana challenged. "Come on, Luce, why are you looking at me like that? Don't you ever want a man in your life?"

Lucy blushed as she imagined her friend and Bacchus Groh doing stuff together in a rather intimate way. Then, she shook her head hard. "No, I don't have time to think about romance. I'm too busy with work."

"Is that so?" Cana cocked an eyebrow at her. Then, she crammed her remaining sandwich into her mouth, got up from the couch, and dusted her hands off. "Okay, blondie. Get up."

"Why?" Lucy asked, but she slowly got up nevertheless.

To her surprise, Cana's face suddenly loomed over hers. She tried to step back, but she felt the other girl's hands gripped both her arms.

"Hey, uh, what are you doing?" she asked nervously.

"You really need to experience some romance in your life, Lucy Heartfilia," the brunette said somewhat seriously. Seconds later, she curved her lips into a mischievous smile. "Do you want me to warm you up?"

"What?"

Before she knew what was happening, Lucy found herself backed against the wall with Cana's face buried in her neck and arms wrapped around her waist. Then, she started to sense the other girl breathing her scent.

Startled and embarrassed, the celestial mage yelped as she tried to push the magic card user away. "Cana, knock it off! What the heck are you doing?"

"Hmm, you smell so good, Luce," Cana murmured. Chuckling, she leaned over for a kiss, but Lucy turned her face instantly so that the kiss landed only on her cheek.

"Cana, stop fooling around," she repeated, feeling tingles all over her body. "This isn't funny, and it's not my kind of…" But Cana was already trailing soft kisses on her cheek down to her neck that she couldn't finish her sentence.

"Hey, stop it," Lucy said weakly. When she felt the other girl kissing and nipping at the skin below her ear, her body grew unbearably hot and heavy. "Don't!"

"What's the matter, Luce? You don't like it?" she asked softly, pulling back slightly. Then, she traced the blonde's lips with her index finger in a provocative manner.

Lucy didn't answer and held her breath. When she had thought that the other girl would try to kiss her again, Cana took a few steps back, raising her arms in mock surrender.

"Sorry about that, Luce," the brunette said, giving her an apologetic smile. "I was only teasing you, but I guess I went too far. Peace?"

The blonde heaved a sigh, feeling relieved. "Yeah, don't worry about it," she told her old comrade, scratching her head. "Seriously, if that was your idea of romance, then I'm not interested. It's way too weird and embarrassing."

Cana burst out laughing. "Was I that bad? Okay, fine. Maybe you just haven't met your type yet."

"Well, that's true," Lucy admitted. "But I'm in no rush. I'm happy for you and Bacchus though."

"Thanks, blondie. Listen, I can't stay long." Cana winked. "Bacchus and I are spending the night somewhere. You're going to be okay here by yourself, yeah?"

Her face reddening, Lucy nodded. "Yeah, of course. Thanks for dropping by, Cana. It was really good to see you."

"You bet. I'll see you around, okay? Hopefully with someone handsome!"

Lucy smiled. "Yeah, not a chance."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Mission in Crocus**

Except for Laxus Dreyar, the Thunder God Tribe seemed to get along well with their new comrades from Blue Pegasus. Inside their elegant-looking guildhall, they were always laughing, drinking champagne, and entertaining guests much to the dragon slayer's annoyance.

_Stupid old geezer, _Laxus thought irritably, making his way into the woods one evening. _Where the hell did you go?_

He never had the chance to stop his grandfather from disbanding the Fairy Tail guild. He had been in the infirmary, recovering from the bane particles he had inhaled in his fight with Tempester. Then, Makarov had mysteriously disappeared after the guild's disbandment, but not without a letter to him saying that he needed to go somewhere.

Sometimes, the dragon slayer would travel to places to see if he could catch a whiff of his grandfather's scent. He had planned to find him and then have him reinstate Fairy Tail so they could be Fiore's strongest guild again.

In the meantime, he needed to be in an official guild with his friends so they could all continue to take mage jobs. When they had chosen to join Blue Pegasus, however, he didn't expect that part of the guild routine was to act as entertainers, which was alien to him. He was never a people-person.

Laxus finally found a nice spot in the woods where he could sit and relax. He sat on the cool grass and leaned his muscular body against a tree trunk after he had tossed his fur-trimmed coat under the shade. Then, he put on his magic headphones and played his favorite music.

"Laxus, where are you?" someone called out.

He sniffed and then realized that the Thunder God Tribe was within the vicinity. So, they had followed him into the woods. Groaning, he grabbed his coat and got up. He felt sure that they were going to ask him why he ran off again from the guildhall when there were still clients and guests.

"I'm right here!" he hollered, walking toward the direction of his friends.

When Evergreen, Bickslow, and Freed saw their leader, they lunged at him and gave him a tight hug. Laxus hugged them back and grinned, his irritation slowly dissipating. Although they declared themselves as his bodyguards, they were his most loyal and dearest friends.

"I've been worried sick!" Freed pouted shamelessly.

"Yeah, Freed panicked when you disappeared from the guildhall again. He nearly wet himself," Bickslow said, roaring with laughter.

"Oh, shut up, Bickslow," Evergreen snapped. "We were all worried."

"I'm sorry, you guys," Laxus said, pulling back from their group hug. "But it'll take me some time to get used to this weird guild of ours."

Freed patted him on the arm affectionately. "Oh, Laxus, I know socializing isn't your style, but you just need to relax and loosen up a bit, you know?"

"Yeah, don't be so awkward, man," Bickslow snickered, slapping him on he back.

"Easy for you guys to say," Laxus grumbled, scratching his head.

"Come on," Evergreen coaxed, winking at him. "Let's all go home for now. We need to leave early tomorrow."

It was barely dawn when Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe headed out on a mission to catch a dark guild who stole a magic goblet that belonged to a wealthy family in Crocus. The reward for completing the job was hefty enough to pay off three months of rent for the four of them, so Laxus grudgingly accepted the quest even though he knew how boring it was going to be.

Ichiya from Blue Pegasus had graciously given the four mages a ride with his new airship. When they arrived in Crocus, Laxus didn't waste time in completing the quest. He quickly sent the thieves from the dark guild flying and easily retrieved the magic goblet from their cowering leader.

"Please don't kill me! You already have what you wanted," the leader of the dark guild cried, bowing before the four mages.

"You and your little friends need to answer to the Magic Council," Bickslow declared. "No one's killing anyone, but we're still taking you. Right, babies?"

"We're still taking you! We're still taking you!" Bickslow's dolls echoed.

"Oh, I can't wait to get the reward!" Evergreen squealed happily.

Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe not only received their monetary reward as promised, but they also obtained three silver keys from their client. According to the owner of the magic goblet, they were celestial gate keys that could summon powerful spirits.

"But we're not celestial wizards," the dragon slayer explained. "We don't need these keys."

The client still insisted that they keep the celestial gate keys anyway much to the four mages' confusion. Not knowing what else to say, they thanked their client and started walking around the capital city of Fiore.

"I'm going to look for a boutique to buy some fancy clothes for tomorrow's festival!" Evergreen said excitedly. Then, she paused and glanced at Laxus. "We are staying here for the festival, right?"

Laxus nodded. "I'll look for a hotel and book rooms for us so we could spend a couple of nights here. You guys can go ahead without me. We'll just meet back here at sundown," he told his friends.

"Thanks, Laxus," Evergreen cooed and then disappeared into the crowd.

"We're staying in Crocus for a couple of nights?" Bickslow repeated. "That sounds good to me! Come on, Freed, let's have a look around!"

"No," Freed insisted, crossing his arms on his chest. "I'm staying here with Laxus. I'm supposed to protect him."

"Freed, just go with Bickslow," Laxus said. "Yeah, and make sure to get our luggage from the airship."

"What should we tell Ichiya?" Bickslow asked.

The dragon slayer grinned. "Tell him we'll return to the guild in three days. We're taking a break."

"You got it!"

Freed heaved a sigh and followed Bickslow across the street. Laxus, on the other hand, turned on his heel and began tracking down a certain blonde celestial mage—Lucy Heartfilia.

_She's here somewhere. Her scent is unmistakable._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: A Blooming Infatuation**

As always, Crocus was bustling with people first thing in the morning. The blonde celestial mage named Lucy Heartfilia watched in fascination as some of the king's soldiers went roaming the streets of the majestic city. They were probably trying to ensure the safety and peace of the residents, she thought.

"Okay, I still have a couple more days to go before my next photo session," Lucy told herself, slapping her cheeks with her hands. "I should look for new clothes or perhaps some celestial gate keys if I could find one!"

Much to her dismay, most of the shops were swarming with customers. She knew that it was going to be difficult for her to squeeze into those places without getting tackled. "This is worse than I thought," she whimpered, bowing her head in defeat. "I guess I'll just have to wait it out."

Later, Lucy eventually found an adorable-looking café within the city that wasn't crowded with people. She happily walked inside and made her way toward an empty table near a large glass window. When the waitress came, she chose to order tea and a slice of strawberry cake. Minutes later, her order arrived. She thanked the waitress for her quick service and gave her a tip.

"Wow, this cake tastes really good!" she exclaimed, smacking her lips. "I should summon Plue and share this with him."

She was about to get Plue's gate key when she heard someone tapping on the glass window beside her. Startled, she glanced up to see a ridiculously tall blond male with muscular built waving at her.

He appeared to be a guy who was a few years older than her. He wore a dark blue collared shirt paired with white pants and brown leather shoes. Since he had a fur-trimmed black coat that hung loosely on his broad shoulders and a distinct lightning scar across his right eye, he looked reasonably intimidating.

"Laxus?" Lucy gasped, almost spilling her tea. What a coincidence that she found another former Fairy Tail guild member in Crocus.

Laxus Dreyar grinned at her and then disappeared from the glass window. Moments later, he walked into the café. Because of his long strides, the dragon slayer was able to reach her table in a matter of seconds.

"May I sit with you?" he asked in his familiar deep voice.

"Yeah, of course," she replied.

She watched as the elite mage slid into the seat across her. She knew that they weren't that close—they had hardly ever exchanged words during their time in Fairy Tail. However, he was still family to her, so it was only natural that she felt happy to see him.

"So, do you want to order something?" she asked him politely.

He smoothly placed one of his elbows on the table and cupped his chin with his hand. He leaned a little closer to the blonde girl and teased, "Are you buying?"

Lucy's eyes widened in surprise, but then she quickly composed herself. She hadn't expected him to be this familiar with her, but she figured it was fine. "Sure. What do you want to have?"

"I'll have tea and that thing you have on your plate."

"Strawberry cake," she told him, winking at him. "Good choice."

She looked over her shoulder and tried to signal the waitress. However, the waitress didn't seem to see her as she was busy wiping another table. Lucy decided to walk over to her, so she stood up. However, she couldn't help but notice that Laxus was also on his feet.

"Uh—what are you doing?" she asked the towering mage.

He shrugged in response, folding his arms on his muscular chest without looking at her. He appeared to content himself with looking through the glass window.

She hesitated, feeling confused. Then, shaking her head, she walked over to the waitress to tell her what she wanted to order. Shortly afterward, she headed back to their table. Bizarrely, the dragon slayer was on his feet again when she approached.

"Okay, what's really going on?" Lucy laughed nervously. When she slid into her seat, he sat right back down.

"No idea what you're talking about," Laxus said, drumming his long fingers on the table. "Anyway, the reason why I'm here is that I have something to give to you."

Feeling uncertain but curious, Lucy gave him a questioning look. As if on cue, he leaned back on his seat and stuffed his large hand into his pocket. Then, he pulled out three silver keys and placed them on the table.

She stared at the shiny keys and her jaw dropped. "Are these celestial gate keys? How did you get them?"

"Yeah, I'd rather not bore you with the details," he replied dismissively. "I don't need them, so I thought I'd give them to you. I recognized your scent in the capital, so here I am."

Lucy would have shivered at the thought of anyone other than a certain pyro friend recognizing her scent. So, why didn't she feel creeped out when she found out that Laxus knew her scent as well? Maybe because it was him—one of Fairy Tail's strongest wizards. She had always felt safe and secure whenever he was around.

"Ah? Is something on your mind?" Laxus asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

"What? Oh, it's nothing," she replied, blushing. She realized that she had been silent for a moment there. She tried to say something else when the waitress materialized out of nowhere with a tray on her hand.

"Here's your order. Enjoy!" the waitress said brightly, placing a cup of tea and a slice of strawberry cake on the table. She glanced at the dragon slayer and then winked at Lucy before leaving.

Lucy wondered what the waitress implied by that furtive gesture. Did she assume they were on a date? She glanced at Laxus, who coolly met her gaze. Somehow, he started to look weirdly attractive to her by the second, making her body grow hot and heavy like when Cana teased her last night. Then, she wondered what it would be like to feel him close to her.

_"You really need to experience some romance in your life, Lucy Heartfilia. Do you want me to warm you up?"_

Shaken by such crazy thoughts, she tore her eyes away from him. _Why am I remembering that? I need to pull myself together!_

"Oi, Missy, are you all right?" Laxus asked, raising an eyebrow. Folding his arms on the table, he leaned forward as if trying to study the blonde girl's expression. "Why are you spacing out and making a funny face?"

Lucy grabbed the celestial gate keys on the table rather clumsily and held them close to her heart. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for giving me these keys, Laxus—I really appreciate it. You know, you can call me Lucy. I mean, we're not exactly strangers." She knew she was babbling, but she couldn't help it.

"You're funny," he mused, shaking his head. Then, he picked up a fork and started digging into his plate.

Lucy and Laxus ate their slice of strawberry cake and drank their tea in silence. The celestial mage realized that this was probably the longest time she had ever spent with Laxus Dreyar. He wasn't loud like most guys she knew. Neither was he the flirty type. Somehow, he always had that serious look and was kind of intimidating, but his company wasn't unpleasant.

"Listen," Laxus said, finally breaking the silence. "I need to take care of something while it's still early."

"You're leaving—? Oh, okay." Lucy tried to hide her disappointment but then wondered at the same time why she was feeling disappointed.

"Will you be all right here by yourself?" he asked, looking intently at the celestial mage.

"Why do people keep asking me that? Do I look that helpless?" Lucy laughed dryly. "I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."

But the dragon slayer looked troubled. "It's not that," he said under his breath. "Well, I can't just leave you here. Do you want to come with me?"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"Where are we going?"

"I promised Freed, Bickslow, and Ever that I'd book rooms in Crocus and then meet them back somewhere at sundown."

"Wait—you want me to tag along with you to book rooms?"

"Yeah, so what's it going to be, Missy? Are you coming with me or do you want to stay here?"

"Well, I…" _Okay, why am I being weird around him? It's just Laxus. It's not like he's going to do anything to me. Ugh, this is all Cana's fault!_

Laxus suddenly got up and strode over to the café counter. Lucy watched him spoke to the café owner and took out a few bills. Realizing what he was doing, she grabbed her purse and then rushed over to him. "Laxus, what are you doing?"

"I paid for our order. What did you think?" He had a puzzled look on his face like she was crazy or something.

"You didn't have to do that," she said quickly. "I was going to pay—"

"Are we really going to argue about this?" he asked in a bored tone. "If you're not coming with me, then I'll be heading out first. I'll see you around, Missy."

The dragon slayer started walking toward the door when Lucy found herself grabbing the bottom sleeve of his coat. "Wait!"

Laxus stopped and stared at her. "Excuse me?"

Blushing furiously, Lucy muttered, "I'm… I'm coming with you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Mutual Attraction**

Laxus Dreyar couldn't help but feel smug as he walked into the crowded streets of Crocus with the celestial mage barely keeping up with his pace. She was acting strange and self-conscious at the café earlier, spacing out and making those cute little blushes.

_She probably has a little crush on me, _he mused, recalling the sound of her heartbeat back in the café. She had been so nervous that he wondered what was going through her mind. Too bad his dragon slayer senses didn't include reading thoughts.

Laxus glanced down at the small figure wearing a white tank top paired with an exceptionally short pink skirt and soft boots. For once, the blonde girl had chosen to let her hair down without any ribbons and such. Superficial as she might seem, she still looked pleasing to the eye. Right now, her sweet scent was driving him nuts.

Realizing where his thoughts were heading, he frowned and tore his eyes away from the celestial mage who was now ogling at her new silver keys. Sure, she was beautiful in every way, and he might have hit on her quite a few times. However, he thought she was a little too young for him.

"I still can't believe I acquired three celestial gate keys in one day," the blonde girl beside him remarked. "When I get home, I'll start making a contract with my new celestial spirits."

"Yeah, you do that," Laxus mumbled absently. He finally found what he was looking for after scanning the crowded streets. "That hotel over there doesn't look half bad. I think I'll check it out."

Lucy seemed to have followed his gaze. "That place looks fancy!" she gasped. "Do you think they have a pool inside?"

"Nah, I don't care much about any of that stuff," he admitted. "I just don't want to have to deal with Freed and Evergreen's incessant whining. They tend to get picky when it comes to hotels."

"You really care about your friends' feelings, don't you?" she said thoughtfully.

He shot a glance at his companion. She was giving him a tender smile that made his insides feel all funny. He cleared his throat and then looked away. "I don't know what you're talking about, Missy. Let's move along."

When they arrived in the hotel, Laxus had asked Lucy to stay in the lobby so he could pick out the rooms for him and his Thunder God Tribe in peace. Unfortunately, she didn't listen and went after him upstairs, sighing loudly at every exquisite painting or vase in the hotel.

"Hey, Laxus, they have a remarkably huge library in here!" He heard her call out a few rooms away. He ignored her and continued to check out the rest of the chambers.

When he finally entered what appeared to be the biggest room, he grinned in approval. Yes, this was going to be his sleeping quarters for a couple of nights, he thought. He was about to return to the hotel lobby to make the reservations when Lucy suddenly emerged beside him.

"Hey, you definitely should book this room," she told him, her hands on her hips. "It's perfect!"

"Yeah, I think I will," he agreed, pleased that the celestial mage was impressed. Then, to his annoyance, the younger mage flung herself onto the large, canopy bed, rolling all over the soft-looking mattress. He was about to tell her off when he noticed that her skirt was riding up her thighs and showing her lacy undergarments. He quickly averted his eyes.

"Oi, Missy," he said patiently, rubbing the back of his neck, which was starting to feel prickly somehow.

"Yeah?"

"Please get off the bed."

Lucy immediately sat up and tried to smooth her tousled hair. "Sorry, I got a little carried away," she said sheepishly. She rose to her feet and then straightened her clothes.

Laxus studied her face for a moment. "Do you want to spend the night here?"

The blonde girl stiffened and then stared at him. "What?"

"Seriously, Missy, do you have a problem with your hearing?" he asked exasperatedly, folding his arms on his chest.

"Seriously, do you have a problem saying my name?" she shot back, mirroring his arms. "It's Lucy!"

The dragon slayer and celestial mage both glared at each other for a moment. Then, there it was again—her heartbeat. It was beating furiously in her chest. Even when she was giving him a stony look, she was nervous.

"You know," he said huskily, turning his back on her. "You're treading on dangerous ground here, Missy."

"Oh, really? And why is that?"

"Because you're getting on my nerves, and I feel like kissing you right now to shut you up."

"Yeah? I dare you—!"

Not believing his ears, Laxus immediately turned around and stared at her. He couldn't help but notice that Lucy's expression was the same as his. It took him a moment to realize that she was just as shocked by her words as he was.

Suddenly, her face started to become redder by the second that the dragon slayer found it overwhelmingly attractive. Following his instincts, he bent over and kissed her hard on the lips. He sensed her hesitation at first, but when he felt her slender arms around his neck, he didn't waste any time encircling his around her waist and lifting her off her feet.

The celestial mage was now kissing him back with equal fierceness that he could hear the sound of his heartbeat rivaling her own. A soft moan escaped her when he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Moments later, she started moaning some more that it took all of his self-control not to push her onto the bed and rip off her clothes.

It was intoxicating—the whispers and moans this divine mage was making. Yes, they were all for him. As he felt her fingers squeezing his shoulders, he instantly knew that she was begging him to do more. Right now, he silently cursed their clothing. If only he could—

"My apologies, but are you taking this room?"

It was that damned hotel staff. Laxus hastily broke off the kiss and set Lucy down, breathing heavily. Angered by the unwanted interruption, he didn't notice that streaks of lightning were already coming out of his body.

The hotel staff looked terrified and bowed apologetically. "I'm truly sorry! Please take your time." With that, he disappeared from the doorway.

Seemingly out of breath, Lucy spoke in an unsteady voice, "I think this is a great room." Then, she awkwardly patted him on the back and edged toward the door. When she reached the doorway, she broke into a run, leaving the dragon slayer at a loss for words.

_What the hell just happened?_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Man Troubles**

Reaching the hotel lobby, Lucy Heartfilia finally slowed down her steps. Some of the newly arrived guests were eyeing her quizzically as she appeared to be gasping for air. She smiled and waved at them to show that everything was all right.

She made her way to the nearest couch and plopped herself down, her heart still fluttering. Strangely, she could still taste Laxus' steamy lips on hers. It probably was a good thing that the hotel staff interrupted them, she thought halfheartedly, touching her warm lips with her cold fingers. The situation might have gotten out of hand otherwise.

Never in her dreams had she imagined that a kiss would feel like that. Neither had she thought that Laxus could kiss her in a way that was both exciting and scary at the same time. She took a few deep breaths to calm down and think straight.

"Are you all right there, Missy?"

Lucy froze after hearing that familiar deep voice. She slowly looked up and saw Laxus towering over her with an expression that she couldn't seem to read. He wasn't wearing his coat anymore, and it revealed more of his broad shoulders and powerfully built arms.

"Hey," Lucy managed to say, suddenly feeling breathless again. She could feel her face growing hot as she remembered how she had clumsily roamed her hands on his neck, hair, and shoulders some moments ago.

"I thought you already left the hotel," he mumbled, putting his hands inside his pockets. "Listen, I just made the reservations, so I guess we're done here."

_We're done here? What does that even mean? _Lucy felt a lump in her throat. She rose to her feet and decided to give Laxus her sunniest smile. "Yeah, I guess we are. Thanks for letting me tag along with you. I was able to see some shops along the way that I want to check out. So, I'll see you around!"

He nodded at her in response. Then, she turned on her heel and walked toward the hotel's exit. She sneaked a glance at the dragon slayer over her shoulder. He still stood there, his expression unfathomable, watching her as she made her way out.

When she finally returned to the busy streets of Crocus, she felt relieved and sad at the same time. She knew she couldn't immediately forget about that kiss. Could she ever? Worse, she started liking that blasted dragon slayer even when he kept calling her Missy.

Lucy heaved a sigh. Despite him not calling her by her name, Laxus was thoughtful enough to have looked for her in the city so she could have the celestial gate keys. He even offered her to tag along with him so she wouldn't be lonely at the café.

He was a bit of a pervert, though, since he had asked her to spend the night with him. Then again, she might be a pervert herself because she hadn't minded.

"Ugh, what's the matter with me?" she moaned out loud, covering her face. "I don't even know that man well enough to like him!"

_"Maybe you just haven't met your type yet." _

_So, he's my type then?_

Before Lucy could ponder further, she felt someone openly place an arm around her shoulders that she almost jumped. She quickly glanced sideways to see if it was the dragon slayer. To her slight disappointment, it was one of her celestial spirits, Loke. He stood beside her, wearing his usual azure-tinted sunglasses and dark suit.

"Loke? Hey, I didn't summon you. What are you doing here?"

"Hey, Lucy! Don't worry. I used my magic in coming here, so I won't be draining any of yours," Loke explained cheerfully. "You know, you could at least pretend that you're happy to see me. I mean, it's been a while."

"Yeah, it's been a while, hasn't it?" she replied thoughtfully. "Sorry. A lot has happened since Fairy Tail broke up."

Loke's face turned serious as he tightened his arm protectively around his mistress. "Hey, it's okay. I only came here because I sensed that you're having man troubles. If you want to talk about it, I'm here for you."

She didn't know whether to laugh or get upset at his nosiness. So, she was this damsel in distress, and her lion was here to sweep her off her feet. How typical of this resident playboy.

"Tell you what, my beautiful mistress," Loke said eagerly, "I'll treat you to lunch—anywhere you like. Then, we'll talk about what's bothering you. Is that a deal or what?"

"Or what," Lucy responded, crossing her arms on her chest. "Are you sure can do that? I haven't heard you take up any mage jobs since Fairy Tail disbanded."

"On second thought, how about you treat me to lunch?" he snickered, scratching his head sheepishly. "Then, we can talk about what's bothering you."

She burst out laughing. She couldn't help it. "Okay, fine. It's a deal." She realized she was already feeling hungry.

It didn't take long for Lucy to find a nice restaurant in the city. Of course, Loke pushed the restaurant door open for her like a pro and dramatically gestured for her to go inside first. Then, he pulled up a chair for her to sit on the table. When the waitress arrived, Loke also made the initiative to order a delicious steak for them and a bottle of wine.

_The perfect ladies man_—_that's Loke for you,_ she thought wryly.

"Okay, let's start from the beginning," Loke suggested as he started slicing the large steak into smaller pieces.

"Oh, wow, where do I even start?" Lucy asked sarcastically, tipping her glass of wine to her lips so she could take a sip. Loke was the last person she wanted to talk to about her man troubles.

"Fine, how about this," he began, his eyes gleaming behind his tinted sunglasses, "who kissed better? Was it Cana or Laxus?"

Lucy choked on her wine and started coughing. She clamped her mouth with one hand and pounded her chest with the other. Chuckling, Loke quickly got up and tried to rub his mistress' back.

"What the heck, Loke!" she gasped moments later, punching him on the shoulder. "How dare you snoop around and invade my privacy?" She quickly got up to her feet and continued to pound on the lion while the latter held up his arms to himself from her blows.

"Okay, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Loke pleaded, laughing. "Ouch! Okay, that really hurts now. Ouch! I'm sorry!"

Fuming, she sat back on her chair and started gobbling down her steak. Yes, she wanted to vent all her anger and embarrassment on her food. Then, she started pouring more wine into her glass.

"Okay, whoa there, Lucy," he said hastily. "You can't possibly drink that much, especially this early in the afternoon. Besides, you easily get drunk, remember?"

"You're the one who ordered wine for drinks," she reminded him, taking a sip of her wine. "Obviously, you wanted me to get drunk."

He grinned at her. "You got me."

"But that means I have you to carry me home if I get drunk, right?"

"Right. So, my dear mistress, are you going to answer my question?"

"Your question?"

"I asked who the better kisser was. So, was it Cana or Laxus?"

"What? Oh, screw it. Yes, Laxus and I kissed," Lucy admitted, blushing. Then, she quickly drained her glass.

"What about Cana?"

"No. Cana and I technically didn't kiss, but she warmed me up to the idea of it... of romance… or something like that."

"Romance, huh? So, how did you feel about kissing Laxus and the possibility of having romance in your life?"

"I don't know, Loke... I..."

As Lucy continued to pour her heart to Loke, the resident playboy merely sat there quietly. He didn't laugh at her anymore or anything of that sort. He remained silent and just listened to her. She realized that she might be wrong about him. Although he was a total flirt, he was definitely a good listener, and he seemed to care about her genuinely.

When she started feeling a little dizzy from drinking, she leaned back on her seat and sighed. "Loke… I feel…"

"I know. Let me take you home, mistress," Loke said gently. He pulled out a few bills from his pocket and left it on the table. Then, he scooped her in his arms and headed straight to the door.

"Tell me, Loke," Lucy slurred, wrapping her arms around the resident playboy's neck and leaning on his shoulder. "Why do guys like you do that? You ask the ladies to pay for you, but then you pay for everything in the end. It doesn't make any sense."

Loke laughed and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. "Because that's how we get the girl, my beautiful mistress."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: More Champagne**

Laxus Dreyar used his magic headphones while lying on his bed. Somehow, he felt calm whenever he was listening to his sound pod. Earlier, he had considered going after Lucy, but he decided against it. Hell, he didn't know what her deal was.

Seriously, wasn't she the one who dared him to kiss her? Obviously, he would never back down or say no to a challenge even if it's as daunting as kissing a pure and delicate girl such as her. Mavis, she even responded to him like she was all fired up. Right now, he wanted them both to continue where they had left off.

Tossing his sound pod aside, he jumped out of his bed and took a leisurely shower. Perhaps, the cold water could clear his mind off her. The last thing he wanted to happen was to track her down, drag her back in his room, and do intimate things with her until her blushes become permanent on her face.

_Mavis, I'm going insane._

Moments later, Laxus suddenly heard a door opening and closing. He sniffed and caught a familiar scent. He didn't know why that punk was here, but he sure was in the wrong room. Donning his bathrobe, he stepped out of the bathroom and saw a guy with spiky orange hair eating his discarded lunch from room service.

"Oi. You lost or something?" Laxus asked, scowling.

"Laxus, my man!" Loke said briskly, taking a bite at a hamburger. "It's good to see you."

"I'm really not in the mood for a chummy reunion, Loke," he growled, leaning against the wall and folding his arms on his chest. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Why aren't my comrades ever happy to see me?" the celestial spirit complained in between bites. "Wow, this hamburger is good! It's such a shame you didn't eat it."

"Look, pal, I'm in a terrible mood right now."

"Care to tell me why?"

"No."

Loke drained the glass of champagne from Laxus' table and smacked his lips. "Okay, then. I guess I'll be on my way." His eyes glinting behind his tinted sunglasses, he removed his jacket, flung it over his shoulder, and then made a move toward the door.

Without warning, bolts of lightning started emerging from Laxus' body and everywhere else in the room. If he wasn't mistaken, he thought he had caught a whiff of Lucy's scent from Loke's jacket.

"You," the dragon slayer said in a loathing tone, raising his crackling fist. Loke jumped back and looked as if he was preparing himself for a fight.

"Okay, calm down, Sparky," the celestial spirit said, his tone just as menacing. He readied his Regulus on both hands in case the towering mage started attacking him. "I'm not here to fight."

"Then why are you pressing the wrong buttons?"

"Because I'm a jerk like that. Jeez, you know me! Look, I came here to talk to you about Lucy."

"Ah? What about her?"

"She's not for you to mess or toy around with."

"That's none of your damn business, pal."

"Her happiness is my business, Laxus. She's my mistress, but she's also my friend. If you hurt her, then you face the wrath of the leader of the Zodiac spirits. You got that?"

Laxus blinked, his lightning magic slowly dissipating from his body. "Oh, I can take you on anytime, pal. I see what this is about, so you can get the hell out. I don't have any bad intentions with Lucy."

Loke grinned, dispelling his Regulus. He slid back into his jacket and arranged his suit. "So, you do know how to say her name after all. Luuucy—"

Laxus lifted his finger and aimed a lightning bolt at the celestial spirit, but before it could connect with him, the lion already dispersed into the air, his gleeful laughter echoing in the room.

"Stupid punk."

At sundown, Laxus tracked down the Thunder God Tribe and found them in a street corner arguing about their luggage. However, they perked up when they saw him and then quickly straightened up. As he led them toward the hotel where he had made their reservations, he listened to their stories about what transpired during their day.

After the Thunder God Tribe had finally settled in their respective rooms, they all came down to the hotel dining area to eat dinner and enjoy a few glasses of champagne.

"Hey, check this out," Bickslow was saying as he pulled out a rolled magazine from his back pocket. "I passed by a bookstore earlier, and I found this outside the store!" He smoothed the magazine on the dinner table and then raised it for everyone to see.

Laxus almost choked on his drink when he saw a stunning image of Lucy on the cover page magazine that Bickslow was holding. The celestial mage wore a yellow string bikini that emphasized all her curves, and her blonde hair was tied up in a ponytail. She was carrying a rescue buoy while standing on a beach. By the looks of it, she was posing as a hot, young lifeguard.

"How dare you show us such an indecent thing?" Freed scolded, trying to cover his eyes. "Honestly, that girl is shameless!"

"Oh, lighten up, Freed," Bickslow said, smirking. "I certainly don't mind drowning in the water and getting saved by her!"

"Wow, I didn't expect Lucy to be that daring for Sorcerer Magazine," Evergreen remarked, taking a good look at the picture. "Someday, she'll probably surpass Mira's popularity if she keeps this up, you know?"

"I wonder if she's seeing someone," Bickslow said interestedly, folding his arms on the table. "What do you think, Ever?"

"Who knows?" Evergreen told him, shrugging. "I thought that she and that flame boy were—or was it that ice mage—?"

"Honestly, you two should find something else to talk about other than preposterous gossips!" Freed snapped.

Laxus abruptly stood up. He downed the remainder of his champagne and then slammed the glass on the table. The Thunder God Tribe jumped slightly and stared at their leader.

"I need to get some air. I'm heading out."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Indirect Confession**

Lucy Heartfilia opened her eyes and found herself back in her cozy apartment. When she rolled her head to face the window, she noticed that it was already dark outside. She tried to sit up—then she winced, feeling a throbbing ache in her head.

"A hangover? No way," she grumbled, massaging her head with her fingers to ease the pain. She kicked off the sheets and tried to feel her fluffy bedroom slippers on the floor with her feet. When she finally found the pair, she slipped into them and tried to stand up.

Feeling unsteady, she slowly walked toward the main room and over to the kitchen table. Then, she poured herself a glass of water. While she was drinking, she caught a glimpse of a brown paper bag on the table with a small note.

"Hmm? What's this?" she muttered to herself after she set her glass down on the table. Then, she lifted the note to her eyes. "Oh, it's from Loke." She peered inside the paper bag and saw a sealed bowl of fried rice and some egg rolls.

Moved, Lucy smiled to herself. She should thank Loke later for going the extra mile for her. He was turning into such a terrific friend. Then, her smile vanished when her head started pounding again. Groaning, she decided to soak herself in a warm bath first.

Spirits, the warm water in the tub felt so good on her muscles. She leaned back in the tub, closed her eyes, and sighed contentedly, feeling her headache starting to subside.

After the much-needed bath, Lucy slipped into a pair of comfortable clothes and then went back to the kitchen table where her dinner was. As she sat there and ate, she thought of what she was going to do the next day. Wasn't there supposed to be a flower festival or something?

She was going to meet with Jason at the photo studio the day after tomorrow, so she should try to enjoy herself before that happens. Maybe she could invite Loke to have fun with her at the festival as her way of thanking him for everything.

A blush crept up her cheeks when Lucy suddenly pictured herself in a glamorous outfit with a tall blond mage instead. Then, they would kiss and hold hands at the festival without a care in the world.

"I wonder what he's doing right now." She buried her hot face in her hands. Was Laxus thinking about her right now the way she was thinking about him?

A hard knock on the door made her jump somewhat guiltily. Who could be visiting her at this hour? Did Cana decide to drop by again? She hoped that the magic card user wouldn't tease her about romance again like the last time. The brunette had no idea how it had messed with her thoughts.

"Just a minute!" she said loudly, getting up from the table and then walking toward the door. She turned the knob and yanked it open. "Oh, hey."

Laxus Dreyar was standing in front of her, looking rather hunky with his gray crew-neck sweater over his pair of dark blue pants and brown shoes. Lucy could smell a musky scent of fancy male perfume mixed with something else—alcohol?

"Lucy."

She opened her mouth to speak, but she couldn't get any words out. She was surprised to hear her name coming from him. It felt strange but in a refreshing way. Then, she took a few steps back and cocked her head, indicating her welcome. The dragon slayer stepped inside the room, although he had to duck his head so he could come through the door without hitting himself.

"You have such a tiny door for a large apartment," he remarked, gazing around the room.

"Oh, please excuse the tiny door, big guy," she said sarcastically, making a point to look at him from head to toe. "But make yourself at home."

"So, you moved here to start a modeling career, huh?"

"What?"

"You know," he began as he slowly closed the door, "you should really do something about that hearing problem."

"I don't have a hearing problem," she clarified adamantly, folding her arms on her chest. Spirits, why did she feel apprehensive when he closed the door? This was her apartment for crying out loud.

Chuckling, the dragon slayer started to move toward her. "I think you do, Lucy."

Lucy tensed. Something was not right here—he had said her name for the second time. Was that the alcohol talking? She could only watch helplessly as the dragon slayer towered over her once more. She saw him lift his hand and reach out to caress her left ear, sending tingles all over her body.

"Laxus, what are you doing?" she asked, taking a couple of steps back to avoid his tantalizing touch. She could feel her heart thundering in her chest.

"Why do you move away from me?" Laxus asked in a curious tone. He took a step forward, and it immediately closed the gap between them. "I can tell you want this."

He was right. She couldn't lie to herself—she wanted to feel Laxus close to her. Unable to stop herself, she slid her arms around his waist and leaned against him with her body. Then, she closed her eyes and waited for him to touch her again.

To her surprise, she felt him stiffen and pull away instead. When she opened her eyes, he was now a few feet away from her, and she could hear him muttering curses under his breath as he turned his back on her.

"I'm sorry," he said hoarsely. "I'm not myself right now. I shouldn't have come here."

Lucy swallowed hard as she stared at his broad back, feeling confused as ever. "Why have you come here?" she asked softly.

When Laxus didn't answer, she walked over to his side and placed her hand on his arm. She felt him stiffen again. She realized that his body reacts to her touch the way hers does to his. For some reason, it made her feel happy.

"I think we should start going out," the dragon slayer finally growled, still not looking at her.

Taken aback, Lucy withdrew her hand as if he had electrified her. Well, that was quite intense and straightforward! Blushing to the roots of her hair, she let out a deep breath that she didn't know she was holding.

"Yeah, okay," she responded quietly. She tried to contain the giddiness that she felt. She wanted to jump and scream, but she didn't want to give this guy the impression that she was too eager to go out with him.

The next thing she knew, she felt his strong arms around her. Surprised but fascinated by his warmth and strength, she leaned closer to him and inhaled his intoxicating scent.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked in a low voice. "There's no telling what I might do to you."

Lucy slowly pulled from him and glanced up. She wanted to tell him that she wasn't scared, but before she could open her mouth, he bent over and caught her lips with his, kissing her hungrily.

She kissed him back without reservation, lacing her arms around his neck. She wanted him to lift her off her feet and crush her against his muscular chest, but he remained still and continued working his lips on hers.

When she felt his tongue exploring her mouth, she instinctively squeezed her fingers on his shoulders. She was still new to kissing and was immensely enjoying the experience, but he was already kissing her like a lover.

"One of these days," he murmured against her lips, "I want those pretty nails of yours digging into my back as I take you."

She gasped at his suggestive statement, her mind wandering off to more intimate thoughts of him. She tried to kiss him more sensually, waiting and wanting, but he kept on teasing her that she found it frustrating.

_"I want those pretty nails of yours digging into my back as I take you."_

_Was that a confession?_

Then, it was all over. Laxus had pulled back from the kiss and held Lucy tight in his arms, placing his chin on the top of her head. Moments later, he massaged her back with his fingers as if trying to make her relax, which was what she needed.

"I hear people are throwing a festival somewhere in this city tomorrow morning," he said, his voice reverberating in his chest. "Do you want to come with me? And don't you say 'what' again."

It took Lucy a moment to register his last line. Then, she pulled from him and punched him playfully on the shoulder. "Okay, that's just rude! I wasn't going to say that!"

The towering mage gently patted her head, chuckling. "I was only teasing you. Relax. Anyway, you seem to like dressing up and stuff, so I figured going to this festival would be a good idea."

"I see what this is about," she said coyly. "You want me to dress up for you."

He let out a small cough. "Well, I wouldn't mind you to dress up for me," he replied, blushing and looking away. "So, are you coming with me to the festival or what?"

She smiled and hugged him. "You bet I'm coming with you."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Flower Festival**

It was already late in the evening when Laxus Dreyar returned to the hotel. He found the Thunder God Tribe waiting for him on the balcony outside his room. He could hear them talking about the upcoming festival. According to Evergreen, the citizens of Crocus would be launching a flower festival as a tribute to their king. They would be gathering in the central part of the city for the parade.

"It's the flower blooming capital after all," Evergreen said dreamily, clasping her hands together. "Lucky for you, boys, I bought brand new coats for all of you." She quickly left the room and then came back with her arms full of different colored garments.

"Wow, thanks, Ever!" Bickslow kissed her on the cheek. "This is really thoughtful of you."

"Ugh, Bicks, you didn't have to slime my face!"

Laxus eyed the fur hooded coats that Evergreen held up and grinned. The woman sure knew how to pick the right size and style. He threw her a grateful wink, which she returned in kind.

"So, Laxus, you and the blonde chick are going out now, huh," Bickslow teased, poking his elbow at his blond comrade's ribs. "Tell me. How did that happen in such as short time?"

Laxus grunted in response and pushed him away. He had told them that the celestial mage would be joining the group at the festival and that he needed to pick her up first thing tomorrow morning.

"Oh, it would be lovely to see Lucy again," Evergreen said earnestly, carefully folding her green coat. "She's such a darling, isn't she, Freed?"

"I suppose so," Freed replied grudgingly. He was meticulously studying the maroon coat that Evergreen had bought him. Although his eyes gleamed with approval, he was still in a sour mood.

After a series of teasing and laughter, the Thunder God Tribe finally left the room to get some rest. Laxus put on his magic headphones and slid into his bed. Moments later, he dozed off. When he woke up the next morning, his friends were in his room again, but this time, they were already dressed up and ready to go.

"Where did the time go?" he mumbled to himself. Groaning, he grabbed a pillow and covered his head with it.

"For crying out loud, Laxus, why aren't you dressed yet?" Evergreen asked crossly, climbing on top of him and yanking the pillow away from his face. "Aren't you supposed to pick up Lucy today?"

"Oi! Get off, would you?" he yelled, easily pushing Evergreen aside and grabbing another pillow. "Give me five more minutes!"

"Kyaaa—!" Evergreen almost fell off the bed, but she had clung to Laxus' free arm to steady herself.

Snickering, Bickslow jumped and slammed his body onto Laxus' core, almost knocking the air out of him. "Come on, Laxus, move! We're already freaking hungry!"

"All right, all right, I'm up!" Laxus growled and sat up, jostling Evergreen and Bickslow out of the way. Both mages cried in surprise as they tumbled to the floor together, landing in an awkward position where one was on top of the other.

"Oh, wow, this is—!" Bickslow started to say, but Evergreen had clamped his mouth shut with her hand.

"Not a word from you, Bickslow," she seethed. "Now, get off me."

Laxus leaned over from the bed and frowned at them. "What are you two doing?" he asked, noticing that Evergreen looked a bit flustered.

"Laxus, it's not what it looks like!" the fairy magic user replied defensively, giving Bickslow a hefty shove that he rolled onto his back on the floor. The seith magic user let out a grunt, but then he snickered.

Freed cleared his throat and Laxus turned to his direction. The letter magic mage was straightening his coat while facing the full-length mirror across the room. "Bickslow sneaked into Evergreen's room last night," he confessed reproachfully.

"Ah?" The dragon slayer grinned. At least he wasn't the only person going out with someone. Then, he groaned again when the Thunder God Tribe started bickering about spilling secrets and betrayal.

Later, the four mages convened in the hotel lobby, ready to head forth into the streets of Crocus. They could already hear people chattering excitedly from the outside of the hotel.

Laxus cleared his throat. "I'll see you guys later, all right?" he said.

Bickslow, without his medieval sallet, looked like he was about to tease him when Evergreen whacked his head with her hand fan. Howling in mock pain, Bickslow rubbed the back of his head and nodded.

"Laxus, I wish to accompany you if you don't mind," Freed announced. "I will, however, remove myself from sight as soon as we arrive at Lucy's place."

"Yeah, sure."

The streets of Crocus had more crowds than usual. There was a huge parade where people followed an enormous magic vehicle that carried the king's statue. Some of them were throwing confetti and giving flowers to the onlookers. Laxus suddenly remembered the colorful festivals back in Magnolia.

"Wild! Wild! Wild!"

Distracted, he turned his head and saw a familiar face from last year's Grand Magic Games. Bacchus Groh was yelling loudly among the crowd with his gourd in his hand. He appeared to be with a tall woman who was also hooting and carrying a bottle of liquor.

"Isn't that Cana?" Freed told him, stopping dead in his tracks. "What's she doing here with that drunken imbecile?"

Laxus grunted, frowning. He almost didn't recognize Cana Alberona because she wore a thick, furry coat and a flowery hat. She seemed to be enjoying herself. Then, he immediately averted his eyes when he caught a glimpse of the drunken falcon bending over to her and kissing her in public.

"Laxus, you can go ahead," Freed said, clenching his fists. "I think I favor a chat with little missy over there."

"Knock his lights out for me, will you?" he muttered, imagining how Gildarts would react.

"You don't even have to tell me twice."

Laxus turned on his heel and started to head toward Lucy's apartment. As he fought his way through the cheering crowd, there were some women along the way who offered him flowers.

"Hey, you're Laxus Dreyar from last year's Grand Magic Games, right?"

"Can you shoot some lightning?"

"Hey, come with us!"

Losing his patience, Laxus decided to use his lightning magic and teleported his way far from the crowd. He felt relieved when he finally reached a deserted alley a few blocks away from Lucy's place. He gathered that most residents had left their homes to join the flower festival in the central part of the city.

Soon, he arrived at Lucy's doorstep. He was about to knock on the door when he heard a man's voice yelling inside in agony.

"Lucy, wake up! Please, you have to wake up!"

Deeply troubled, he blasted the door with his lightning bolts and rushed inside the room. He could feel his blood drain from his face as he tried to take in what was in front of him.

Lying on the floor was an unconscious Lucy Heartfilia in her nightdress, looking pale. Loke was on his knees beside her, trying to wake her up while crying and trembling with fear. On the floor next to him were shards of what appeared to be black keys.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Cursed Keys**

It wasn't even daybreak yet when Lucy Heartfilia found herself waking up in her bed. For some reason, she felt a nagging presence somewhere near her. She switched on her lampshade and looked around her bedroom. There was nobody there.

Across her bed, her eyes lingered on the desk drawer where she kept her celestial gate keys. Somehow, she felt the urge to hold them. Was there something that she needed to do?

Remembering the silver keys that Laxus had given her, she realized that she hadn't gone over the contract with her newly acquired celestial spirits yet. She got out of bed and walked over to her desk and yanked open the drawer.

To her surprise, she saw three black keys next to the silver and gold ones. Why were they painted black? She didn't recall them to be so when Laxus had given them to her. Suddenly, they started forming a black sphere that appeared to be glowing. What a strange sight it was.

Moments later, the room seemed to have shifted. As her celestial gate keys floated in the air, the desk drawer, the furniture, door, and windows started to disappear. She looked around wildly and saw that she was standing in what resembled a spirit world, except it looked like a barren one.

Bewildered, she glanced back at her celestial gate keys. She was about to grab them when a strong arm encircled her waist. The next thing she knew, she was being hoisted up and dragged several steps back.

"Lucy, it's me!" Loke's voice rang in her ears when she had tried to break free. "You need to stay back!"

"Loke? What the heck is going on?" Lucy cried in alarm.

"I sensed dark magic near my gate key earlier. It felt like it was trying to consume it, that's why I used my magic again to come to you. Listen, Lucy, I need to get all of the gate keys away from the cursed ones."

"The cursed ones?" she repeated incredulously.

"Yes, those three black keys right there contain dark magic. We have to destroy them so we can get out of this place."

"What do you mean by that? They're not cursed! Laxus gave those celestial gate keys to me!"

Her lion was already roaring. "They're not celestial gate keys, mistress! They're decoys, serving as traps for celestial spirits and their gate key holder. If we don't destroy them now, we may not be able to get out of here!"

"What?" Lucy exclaimed, horrified. "Then, I must get to my keys. Let me go!"

"No, don't touch them! It's too dangerous. Let me handle this."

Loke gently released his mistress from his hold. Taking a deep breath, he edged closer to the keys with his Regulus ready. "O, Regulus. Grant me your strength!"

Moments later, his bright orbs stretched out from his hands like rays and took hold of Lucy's gold and silver keys. Slowly, the Regulus was able to separate them from the black luminous ones.

Tears streaming down her face, Lucy rushed forward. She quickly gathered her celestial gate keys and moved away from the cursed ones, which were still held captive by Loke's Regulus.

"Mistress!" Loke called out, breathing heavily. "The dark magic—it's fighting back! I don't know if my Regulus can destroy the keys on its own."

The celestial mage watched in horror as the dark orb from the bogus celestial gate keys started to stretch its black rays. They looked like they were about to consume Loke's Regulus. She needed to help him—she needed to summon her other celestial spirits.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden. Virgo!" she shouted, pulling out one of her celestial gate keys.

Virgo, clad in her maid uniform, appeared instantly. Bowing before her mistress, she asked solemnly, "What is your command, Princess?"

"Virgo, I ask that you chain those keys that Loke's holding!"

"Right away, Princess."

Virgo summoned her magical chains and flung them toward the cursed keys, incarcerating them. However, she staggered slightly, looking surprised, when the keys violently tried to break free from the chains. "Princess, I think we need to shatter this thing. We're done for otherwise."

Without wasting time, Lucy pulled out another celestial gate key. "Open, Gate of the Golden Bull. Taurus!"

Taurus appeared, carrying his massive axe with him. "Long time no see, Miss Lucy!"

"Taurus, please!" she pleaded desperately, pointing at the cursed keys. "I need you to destroy those keys with your axe!"

"Hurry!" Loke yelled. His arms were already shaking.

Taurus leaped forward, his giant foot creating an enormous crack on the ground. Then, he swung his axe with all his might toward the chained keys, shattering them into fragments.

The room started to shift again, and Lucy found herself back in her familiar apartment. Her magic drained from summoning two celestial spirits at once, she dropped to her knees, feeling dizzy. "Is it over?" she asked breathlessly.

"Yeah," Loke responded, grinning at her. "You did it Lucy. You got us out of there."

"You should rest up, Princess," Virgo said, bowing at her mistress.

"Don't forget to summon me if you feel like smooching!" Taurus mooed, attaching his massive axe on the belt buckle strapped across his chest.

Lucy smiled at them. "Thanks, you guys."

Virgo and Taurus both dispersed into thin air. Loke, on the other hand, remained in Lucy's room, which was already glowing with the morning's sunlight.

"Are you all right, Lucy?" he asked concernedly. He was still catching his breath.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just a little tired," she replied, trying to stand up. "Hey, Loke?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you. You're always saving me."

Just when Lucy thought that everything was back to normal, a bolt of black lightning suddenly emerged from the shattered keys on the floor. Without warning, it darted toward her direction, hitting her squarely on the chest. The pain she felt was excruciating, and she knew she was falling. The last thing she saw was Loke hurtling toward her, his face revealing his shock and terror. Then, everything went dark.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Ichiya's Healing Parfum**

It was a one-sided fight between the leader of the Zodiac spirits and the dragon slayer. No one could probably call it a fight at all. Having already used up most of his celestial magic, Leo the Lion immediately fell to the ground as Laxus Dreyar swatted his weak punch away with his hand.

"It was you!" Loke screamed at him, struggling back to his feet. "You were the one who gave her those cursed keys. You keep away from her, you hear me? She's dead because of you!"

"You're… you're lying," Laxus whispered, stunned. He could feel his insides turn.

"Her heart stopped beating," the lion seethed, clenching his fists and shaking horribly. Tears were pouring down his face. "And it's your fault!"

It felt like a shot to the heart. Laxus couldn't believe his ears. Rage swelling up inside him, streaks of lightning struck every part of the room, shattering the windows and destroying every piece of furniture.

"You're lying!" he bellowed. "She's not dead!" But his dragon slayer senses betrayed his statement. _No, it's not possible! _He couldn't hear Lucy's heartbeat anymore.

"You know she's dead!" Loke stood up and staggered toward Lucy's lifeless body. He turned to Laxus, his eyes full of blind hate and vengeance, and raised his fists as if he was still protecting his beloved mistress.

Trying to calm himself, Laxus breathed deeply. He knew what he needed to do although he wasn't quite sure if it would work. But he had to try. "Loke," he said evenly, "Step aside. I can still revive her."

Loke froze for a moment. He stared at the dragon slayer. "You… you can still revive her?"

Without answering him, Laxus strode over and pushed him aside. He knelt beside the celestial mage and placed his hand over her chest. He closed his eyes and concentrated hard on his lightning magic. Moments later, he gave her body a gentle shock.

Lucy's body twitched, but nothing happened. No, he couldn't lose her. He just couldn't. Swallowing hard, he tried again.

"Lucy, please," he begged her. He tried one more time.

Then, there it was—her heartbeat. But it sounded so weak like it was on the brink of stopping anytime. To his immense relief, Laxus sensed her drawing her first breath.

"I don't believe it," he heard Loke whisper disbelievingly behind him. "She's alive."

"I'm taking her to someone who might be able to help her," he told the celestial spirit, holding Lucy in his arms. "You should return to your world and recover."

Wordlessly, Loke nodded, his face still looked shocked but relieved.

All of a sudden, there was a thunderclap. Laxus had summoned his lightning magic again and took Lucy with him in a flash. Leaving Loke behind, he carried the celestial mage and kept teleporting until he reached the place where he needed to be.

"Laxus! Meeen—!" Ichiya Kotobuki of Blue Pegasus gasped.

"Is that Lucy?" The Trimens Hibiki, Ren, and Eve asked in unison.

Laxus dropped to his knees and carefully placed Lucy on the floor. He was back inside the Blue Pegasus guildhall. He had used a lot of his lightning magic from transporting himself and the celestial mage to where he knew someone could possibly help her—Ichiya, the perfume master.

Breathing heavily, he turned to Ichiya. "You have to help her," he implored him. "She's getting weaker by the minute."

The Trimens rushed forward and then carried Lucy to the guildhall's infirmary. Laxus watched as Ichiya busied himself in making a healing perfume on a nearby table.

"This parfum should restore Lucy back to health," the perfume master said seriously. Moments later, Laxus saw him spray the bottle of perfume all over his body.

"What the hell are you doing?" the dragon slayer demanded angrily. "I thought that healing perfume was for Lucy."

"It is, and it's a strong and powerful one!" Ichiya said dramatically. "Now, all she needs to do is smell me!" He edged closer to Lucy, embracing her, to Laxus' dismay. "Meeen…"

"Hang on—!" he started to protest, but he stopped when he noticed that Lucy stirred. He could hear her heart beating normally again. A tremendous relief flowed into his heart when he saw her opening her eyes, her skin color returning to normal.

"Lucy, you're awake!" The Trimens cried.

To Laxus' annoyance, Ichiya was still hugging her, his face looking ridiculously smug and perverted. He was about to knock him out with a punch when the celestial mage beat him to it.

"Hey, what's the big idea?" Lucy yelled violently, giving Ichiya a jaw-cracking uppercut. The perfume master toppled over the floor, his perverted expression not changing the least bit.

"Master Ichiya!" The Trimens wailed, rushing toward their leader.

"What—what happened here?" Lucy said, looking around. "Where's Loke?"

_She's all right, _he thought, drawing a deep breath. Then, his heart started to ache when he remembered what Loke had told him. So, he had given her three cursed keys that had placed her in life in danger. It was his fault that she almost lost her life today.

Lucy met his gaze and her eyes widened in surprise and relief. "Laxus!"

He gave her a nod. "Are you doing all right there, Missy?"

"I think so," she replied. "Laxus—have you seen Loke?"

"He's fine," he replied, looking away. "But you almost… didn't wake up anymore." He couldn't bring himself to tell her that she actually died for a while but was revived.

"Oh, I'm so glad he's okay!" she cried, burying her face in her hands.

The dragon slayer stared at her. _Idiot, you're the one who almost died. Why are you worried about Loke at this time? _Then, he shook his head. Of course—she was Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail. She would always think of others before herself.

"Meeeeeeeeen!"

Ichiya was up on his feet again. He was making a ludicrous show with his three fingers on each hand. As usual, The Trimens followed their leader and chanted after him, celebrating his success in saving Lucy.

The show was cut short, however, when a fine-looking girl with a blonde ponytail entered the infirmary, smiling enticingly. Laxus recognized her as Jenny Realight from last year's Grand Magic Games.

"Lunch is ready," Jenny said coquettishly, her eyes on the dragon slayer.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Models of Sorcerer Magazine**

The Blue Pegasus infirmary housed a few small beds, towering shelves that contained a lot of books, and a large oval-shaped desk at the center of the room. According to Lucy Heartfilia's standards, it looked more like a study room than a place for sick or injured people.

Lucy had wanted to ask Laxus about what happened back in her apartment, but Ichiya insisted that she rest up first and left the room with Ren and Eve. She watched helplessly as the beautiful woman named Jenny also dragged the dragon slayer out of the infirmary.

Hibiki Lates of the Trimens remained by her side. "Are you hungry, Lucy?" the pretty boy in a formal suit asked kindly.

Distracted, she glanced at Hibiki and smiled slightly. "Yeah, a little."

"Don't worry. Eve will be on his way back here with your lunch. I hope you like lasagna."

"Okay. Thanks."

"Here, I think these belonged to you." He handed her the celestial gate keys.

Lucy gasped and quickly took the keys in her hands. She felt so relieved that nothing happened to them. She suddenly thought of Loke, but he was probably in the celestial spirit world right now, trying to recover.

"I think Laxus dropped them on the floor when he arrived in the guildhall. He was so worried about you. We were worried, too. We thought you wouldn't make it…" Hibiki trailed off, looking away.

"How did Laxus get here?" she asked.

"I think he said he used his lightning magic to travel from Crocus to our guild. No wonder he looked exhausted. Traveling from Crocus to here in an airship alone could take a few hours!"

Lucy heard a knock and then saw Eve Tearm walking inside the infirmary with a tray. The smell of lasagna made her stomach grumble.

"Here you go, Lucy!" Eve said heartily. "I hope you get well soon."

She sat up and smile at him. "Thanks, Eve."

"Hey, Hibiki." The petite boy turned to his comrade. "Ichiya wants us to get ready in a couple of hours. We're flying to Crocus."

"Huh? Why?" Hibiki asked.

Eve shrugged. "We're tasked to investigate Laxus' recent client, the one who owned a magic goblet. Apparently, he was the one who gave Laxus the keys that concealed dark magic as a reward for completing the mission." He turned to face Lucy, suddenly looking concerned. "He was told that those keys could summon celestial spirits, so he gave them to you because you're a celestial mage."

"I see," she murmured, absentmindedly poking her lasagna with a fork. Now, she knew how he acquired those cursed keys in the first place. He was deceived.

Hibiki frowned and looked like he was in deep thought. "I could look into my magic archives and see if I could find something about cursed keys. Eve, can you stay here with Lucy for a while? I need to speak with Master Ichiya."

"Of course," Eve replied, nodding his head. With that, Hibiki left the room.

"Eve?" Lucy prompted. "What else did Laxus say?"

The petite boy looked uncomfortable, but he forced a smile. "Well, he said that the cursed keys did something to you. Then, you—you kind of died. But he was able to revive you with his lightning magic. I didn't know he could do that."

She swallowed, feeling sick to her stomach. "I… died and was brought back to life?" She remembered feeling something painful and seeing Loke's horrified face. After that—there was nothing.

"Yeah, that's what Laxus told us just now. He wanted to take Master Ichiya's airship and travel back to Crocus to avenge you. But Master Ichiya refused his request and asked him leave the job to us. They're kind of arguing right now."

There was another knock on the door. "I hope I'm not interrupting something."

Lucy turned her head and saw Jenny entered the infirmary again, swaying her hips as she did so. She smiled warmly at her, but the warmth didn't reach her eyes.

"So, Lucy," Jenny said sweetly, "I saw your photos in Sorcerer Magazine. How did it feel to take my place?"

Lucy placed her lasagna on the side table. She no longer felt like eating. Nevertheless, she smiled back at the other girl. "I didn't realize they fired you."

Jenny's face was now contorted with anger. "They didn't fire me! I had been traveling for months, and I just got back today. I never expected Sorcerer Magazine to replace me with such—!"

"Jenny, that's enough!" Eve scolded, folding his arms on his chest. "Lucy needs to rest. You heard what Laxus said about—"

"Oh, yes, Laxus," the older girl said, her face suddenly looking dreamy. "I was so happy when I found out he joined Blue Pegasus. He's such an interesting man. You know, I asked him earlier if you two were going out…"

Lucy blinked.

Jenny twirled her blonde ponytail around her finger. "He said that there's nothing between you two and that you're just friends," she finished, looking pleased.

_Just friends. _She could feel her heart hammering in her chest. Suddenly, she felt dizzy. _Why would he tell her that? Well, we never really said anything about being in an official relationship. But still…_

Eve seemed to have caught on to what she was feeling because he quickly held her hand. "Are you all right, Lucy? Please lie down for a moment and get some rest. You can finish your meal later."

She did as she was told and closed her eyes. Jenny continued to talk, but the celestial mage could no longer understand what the other girl was saying. All she could think about was Laxus. Where was he? Why wasn't he here with her right now?

Lucy pulled the covers up to her head as tears started to trickle down her face.

_Laxus, I need you._


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Jealousy**

Laxus Dreyar informed Ichiya about what happened in Crocus and his desire to confront his client. However, the perfume master looked reluctant about his plan. According to him, if Blue Pegasus could sort out conflict without using any form of violence, then they should take that course.

The dragon slayer sat on the table, feeling more frustrated than ever. Apparently, Ichiya was adamant in having the Trimens investigate the matter first. Laxus was on the verge of exploding, but he contained himself because the man did help Lucy.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare the airship. Meeen," Ichiya sang, breezing his way out of the guildhall.

Moments later, Eve and Jenny arrived in the main hall. They seemed to be arguing about her rude behavior and the things she shouldn't have said because they weren't true.

"How is she?" Laxus asked Eve.

"She's fine," Eve replied cautiously. The way he scratched his head told the dragon slayer a different story. "I mean, she ate a bit, but..."

"Oh, don't hide it, Eve. Lucy got melodramatic and started ignoring us!" Jenny complained and then squeezed herself between Hibiki and Ren on the table.

"That's not what happened," Eve retorted, clenching his fists. "You're the one who got all melodramatic and upset her."

Jenny scoffed and crossed her arms, leaning against Hibiki.

"Don't you want to check on her, Laxus?" Ren Akatsuki asked, raising an eyebrow.

Laxus didn't answer him. The question was whether or not Lucy wanted to see him. She probably hated him for putting her in harm's way.

"Why don't you take care of Lucy while we head out?" Hibiki suggested to him.

"Yeah, I'll do that," he grunted, wiping his face with his hand.

"I'll be sure to inform the Thunder God Tribe where you are as soon as they're within my telepathy range," Hibiki added.

He nodded his thanks and got up from the table. It was time to face her.

At the infirmary, Laxus quietly opened the door and watched as Lucy picked out a book from one of the shelves. Her blonde hair was slightly disheveled, and her nightdress was rumpled. Taking a deep breath, he knocked.

The blonde girl didn't even turn to face him.

"Are you all right there, Missy?"

There was no reaction from her. He watched her as she started flipping the pages of the book she was holding with her back still turned. As he expected, the celestial mage was angry at him—her heartbeat told him so.

"Listen. I want to tell you something."

Nothing. He moved closer to her until he was standing behind her. She still ignored him.

"Hey."

Frowning, he looked over her shoulder and noticed that the book she was holding was upside down. On a normal day, he probably would have found this funny.

"I knew you had a problem with your hearing. But I didn't realize you have a problem with your vision, too," Laxus mused.

Lucy suddenly turned around and fixed him a stony glare. "What do you mean that I also have a problem with my vision? Are you trying to pick a fight, big guy?"

_Okay, so that got her attention._

Instead of answering her, he gently tugged at the book she was holding and turned it upside down. Then, he watched as her face turned into a deep shade of red as she stared at the book in its right position.

"I'm not here to pick a fight with you," he sighed. He placed the book back into the shelf.

Lucy suddenly looked troubled as if she was thinking about something.

"Please look at me," Laxus told her, placing his hands gently on her shoulders. Slowly, she met his gaze. "Lucy, I want to tell you how sorry I am for everything. For giving you those cursed keys. I swear to you on my life that I never meant—"

He couldn't finish his apology. Lucy had flung her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. Laxus instinctively held her in his arms and lifted her off her feet, feeling surprised yet hopeful at the same time.

"Lucy—"

The celestial mage wrapped her legs around the dragon slayer and moaned in his mouth, urging him to return her kiss. She was kissing him with such fierceness that he opened his mouth and gave in to her demands. He knew he didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve her.

"I've missed you," Lucy murmured moments later, her breath fanning against his lips. Then, she slowly pulled back and gazed intently at him.

"How can you be like this when I was the one who put you in danger?" Laxus asked her miserably.

"Don't think like that. I don't blame you for what happened," she assured him. "Eve told me everything. You saved my life."

"I could've lost you."

"But you didn't," she pointed out. Then, she sighed heavily. "And the reason I got mad at you earlier was because you told Jenny something."

He cocked his head, confused. "Ah? What are you talking about? I barely even spoke to Jenny."

"But—"

He suddenly remembered Eve and Jenny arguing earlier about the girl lying about something. "Wait—what did she tell you that got you all upset?"

She sighed and seemed to glare at the infirmary door. "It's nothing," she muttered angrily, hugging him tightly. "Forget it."

"Are you sure you don't want to tell me?" He buried his face in her neck. When he felt her shake her head in response, he contented himself with inhaling her sweet scent.

"Hey, don't go on sniffing me," she protested. "I haven't bathed yet. And I'd like to very much right now."

He felt her trying to push him away, but he didn't budge. Instead, he placed soft kisses on her neck and then slowly lowered his lips to her bare shoulders. He could feel her body shiver.

"Laxus?"

"Yes?"

"I think… I think we should…"

"We should what, Missy?" He drew back and gazed at her. Then, he smiled slightly. "Do you want to go to my place?"

She looked at him, her face reddening. Moments later, she nodded. "Yeah, let's do that."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Getting to Know Each Other**

Lucy Heartfilia closed her eyes as she lowered her naked body into the water. Yes, it was just the right temperature for her. It was what she needed right now—hot water in a tub with bath salts. She could feel herself relaxing and drifting into a whole new world where she couldn't think of anything dark or scary.

When they left the Blue Pegasus guildhall, the dragon slayer had draped his large coat around her and carried her all the way to his apartment. She could have summoned Virgo and asked her to give her some decent clothing and a pair of shoes from the celestial spirit world, but she felt so moony that she wanted Laxus to carry her.

At the moment, she thought about her feelings for him and whether or not they were already an official couple. Okay, they had told each other in Crocus that they should start going out, although their first date didn't exactly happen as planned because of some dark magic show.

_Why did we decide to go out again? _Lucy thought, dipping her head and into the water.

_Oh, yeah. We kissed in the hotel—and my apartment. We had a lot of sexual tension when we're around each other. Ugh. But I wanted to have more conversations with him, get to know him, and other stuff!_

She had read a lot of romance novels and learned many things about what couples do. They should communicate, get to know each other more, and tell their feelings for each other.

_Okay, Laxus must have had girlfriends in the past. Should I ask him about their relationship?_

Lucy pictured Laxus kissing a faceless woman, and she bobbed out of the water, gasping for air. She shook her head.

_Ugh, crap. I'm hopeless when it comes to romance!_

"Are you all right in there, Missy?" Lucy heard the dragon slayer called outside the bathroom.

"There's that Missy again," she hissed to herself. "I thought he's over that."

"What was that?"

She forgot he could easily hear her with his dragon slayer senses. "Nothing!" she bellowed. "I'm almost done. Just give me a minute."

She went on with her bath rituals, and then finally got out of the tub. Draping herself with a towel, she grabbed the celestial gate keys that she had placed on top of a vanity cabinet.

"Open, Gate of the Maiden. Virgo!"

"Do you need some clothes, Princess?" Virgo asked as she appeared before her mistress.

"Yes, Virgo, please. I didn't bring any clothes with me," Lucy replied.

"Are we going to talk about my punishment after?"

"I'm not punishing you, Virgo!"

"Okay, mistress. Another time, then," Virgo sighed, summoning a short white dress, some undergarments, and a pair of red sandals.

"Thanks, Virgo," Lucy said gratefully. She dressed up quickly, dried her hair with a blow-dryer near the sink, and glanced at the mirror. Her outfit looked great on her. She gave herself a wink.

"She loooves him," Virgo cooed.

Lucy turned to her celestial spirit and glared at her. "I do not!" she argued. "And why are you still here?"

"Are you going to punish me?"

"No!"

"Take care, Princess." With that, Virgo vanished.

Lucy consciously stepped out of the bathroom and looked around. She was now in Laxus' bedroom, and the owner was lying on his bed and reading a book.

"I didn't know you like reading books," she remarked, trying to arrange her hair.

"I don't," he replied, closing the book he was holding with a snap. "Gramps gave this book to me last year, and I'm still halfway through it." He placed the book on his side table and sat up, giving her a head-to-foot look.

"What's it about?" she curiously asked as she seated herself on a winged chair.

"Well, it's a romance novel," he said gruffly.

"What?" she gaped at him, and then she glanced at the book that was on his side table. "So, uh, do you—do you enjoy reading it?"

He gave her a crooked smile. "I only pay attention to some parts of it."

"Which parts?" She could feel a blush creeping up her face as she watched him stood up and walked over to her. Moments later, he knelt in front of her and held her hands.

"Do you want me to show you?" he growled, gazing intently at her.

_Okay, here we go again. Focus!_

Lucy immediately drew her hands back and looked away. "Laxus," she started to say, but Laxus got up and bent over to her, his large hands gripping the arms of the winged chair. Their faces were now inches apart.

"What is it, Lucy?"

She heard her name and swallowed. Spirits, he was good at this. Then, he started nibbling her ear, sending shocks all over her body. She felt his fingers caressing her neck.

"Laxus!" she cried indignantly, trying to get his attention.

Laxus immediately stopped what he was doing and drew back, his expression startled. Then, he looked like he was fumbling for words. "I'm sorry," he finally said and straightened up.

Blushing furiously, Lucy did his best to look at him. It was kind of hard for her since she felt guilty about snapping at him when she was enjoying their closeness.

Taking a deep breath, she said calmly, "I want to know more about you." Finally, she said it out loud.

His eyes widened in surprise. Lucy guessed that he hadn't expected that. "You want to—get to know me?"

"Yes. I want to know everything about you, and I want you to know everything about me."

She waited for him to respond, bracing herself. _Please don't say no!_

Then, she watched as the dragon slayer grinned at her and held up his hand.

"Yeah. Let's get to know each other over dinner. I know a place. What do you say?"

She beamed at him and took his hand. "I say let's do it!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: First Date**

Laxus Dreyar thought he could read her easily, but he was wrong. So, the blonde girl wanted them to get to know each other better. The gesture was sweet, but rather unknown to him, as the girls he had dated before would prefer words of seduction and physical intimacy during the onset of their acquaintance.

But this was Lucy Heartfilia, a beautiful young woman who was known in Fairy Tail to prefer books and fancy clothes over going out with undeserving bachelors such as himself. At least he knew that about her.

The celestial mage probably wanted assurance or something before giving herself to him. Well, if that was what she wanted, then the dragon slayer should stop at nothing to let her have what she desired.

Perhaps, at the end of the evening, she would be willing to let him make her his if he played his cards right, he thought.

Laxus finally found the place where they could dine in private. The owner of the candlelit restaurant was a grateful client of his. In the past, he had saved his business from pesky thugs who always came by to steal his earnings. In return, the owner always reserved the fancy table on the upper balcony of the restaurant for the dragon slayer and the Thunder God Tribe.

As they entered the double doors of the restaurant, he was aware of Lucy holding his hand, her face looking a bit flushed with pleasure. What he wouldn't give to be able to make her his.

"Good evening, Mr. Dreyar," the owner of the restaurant greeted him. "A table for four—oh," he stopped when he saw Lucy. Then, he smiled widely. "A table for two, then."

Lucy gave Laxus a questioning look, and he told her about his history with the owner. "The Thunder God Tribe and I always visited this place because they serve great food."

"You're really awesome, you know that?" she told him, leaning on his arm.

He stared at her, raising an eyebrow. "Not really. Those thugs were easy to knock out."

"Laxus, you saved that man from losing the business he probably worked hard for his entire life," she said. "To you, beating up those thugs may not be much of a challenge, but to the owner of this restaurant, your help meant a great deal to him."

"You're giving me too much credit, Missy."

She chuckled, seemingly unfazed with how he purposely addressed her.

As they were having their dinner, Lucy opened up about her childhood and how she joined Fairy Tail after running away from home. She also told him about her relationship with her celestial spirits and her dream to become a famous published writer someday.

"So, you didn't want to be a model?" Laxus asked her skeptically.

"No, not really," she admitted, shaking her head. "It's just something that I do to get by. I haven't given up on my real dream. But after Fairy Tail, it was hard for me to pick up my pen again."

"I see. I'm sure you'll find the courage to start writing again. And as soon as I find Gramps, I'll ask him to reinstate our guild even if that means I have to beat that old geezer up."

Lucy's eyes looked misty with tears. "You really mean that?" she asked softly.

"Hey, don't cry on me," Laxus said hastily, feeling embarrassed. "You make me feel like a bad guy here."

She laughed softly. "Thank you, Laxus," she said, wiping her tears away. "What about Blue Pegasus?"

"They're a decent bunch, but I grew up with Fairy Tail."

Laxus began opening up to her about him being close to Makarov when he was a child and the things he had to go through with his estranged father. Then, he talked about his relationship with the Thunder God Tribe and how Fairy Tail's acceptance and forgiveness for his past sins had changed his outlook in life and himself.

He watched Lucy's expression as he told her things about himself that he had never told anyone about, including the Thunder God Tribe. As she listened, he couldn't sense any kind of judgment from her.

_I feel strange when I'm with her._

He had intended to take her in a candlelit dinner because he thought she would find it romantic, and it would put her in the mood, but it felt like she hardly looked around the place. She seemed to be more interested in him than anything else. It gave him an odd feeling.

"Hey, it's getting late," Laxus told her gently, holding her hand and kissing it. "Should we head back to my apartment?"

Lucy nodded, smiling at him. "Okay."

When they had arrived back in his apartment, Laxus removed his coat from Lucy's shoulders and told her that he was going to take a quick shower. That way, she could prepare herself for bed without him being in the way.

"Okay. I'm going to summon Virgo again so I could change into something," she told him.

"Ah, I see. So, that's how you got your strange clothes," he mused. "I was wondering about that."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What do you mean strange?" she retorted, glancing at her reflection in a large, wall mirror. "They're perfect!"

"No, you're perfect," he murmured, giving her a quick smile in the mirror. He saw red in her cheeks and immediately knew that she was blushing again.

"Listen," she said, turning around to face him. "Thanks for tonight. It really meant a lot to me."

He nodded. "You can sleep in the bedroom. After I take a shower, I'll sleep on the couch here."

"Do you mean that?" she asked, glancing at the large couch near the window.

He scratched his chin. "You know what? On second thought, you should sleep on the couch. This is my apartment after all."

She glared at him, her hands on her hips. "Is that how you—?"

"I'm just kidding. I'm going to take a shower now, all right? Be a good girl." With that, he stepped inside his bedroom and closed the door. He could hear Lucy muttering to herself. Snickering, he shook his head in amusement.

As he was taking a shower, Laxus thought about his conversation with the celestial mage earlier. He realized that he practically opened up everything about him to her in one night. Well, he left out the stuff about his past relationships with other women because she didn't need to know any of that. But for the most part about his life, he was able to share them with her.

She was slowly changing him, he realized. He didn't know though if it was for the better, but he knew he still wanted her tonight.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Mutual Desire**

Lucy Heartfilia finally slipped into the stunning purple nightdress that Virgo had lent to her. It was a little revealing, but it fit her perfectly. She recalled her celestial spirit giving her a sly look before taking a courteous bow and disappearing into thin air.

She wondered whether or not she should wait for Laxus to finish with his night rituals before she would enter his bedroom. She imagined him stepping out of the shower with nothing but a towel wrapped around his hips.

She felt her blood rushing to her face, yet she found herself still fantasizing about him. She knew Laxus had a magnificent body, broad and muscular. She wanted to run her hand on his bare chest and abdomen to feel his tight muscles.

Sighing, she decided to wait for him in the living room. She walked over to the large couch and seated herself. Should she lie down? No, that probably wouldn't be a good idea.

_Ugh, what the heck, _she thought desperately, feeling her heart racing. She was back to being all self-conscious again. She should feel comfortable now that she had gotten to know more about the dragon slayer. But at this very moment, it was the exact opposite. She felt uneasy.

"Are you nervous?"

Laxus had finally stepped out of his bedroom. His blond hair still looked damp and a bit messy. Lucy gathered he had rubbed a towel to dry them after he took a shower. He was wearing a Kimono type of bathrobe that revealed his muscular chest.

When she realized she was already gawking at him, she averted her eyes and tried to look at her reflection on the wall mirror, but Laxus appeared to have followed her gaze. He stared back at her in the mirror, his expression half-serious, half-amused.

There was no point in lying to him now. He could probably hear her thundering heartbeat, anyway. "Yeah, I'm nervous."

"What are you feeling nervous about?" Laxus asked. He strode over and sat next to her on the couch.

"Frankly? I'm nervous about us getting way too close," she replied. Even when they were not touching, she could already feel the heat radiating from his body.

"I'm sorry, Lucy." He blew out a breath and then reached out to hold her hand. "But I'm already at my limit. I want you tonight."

A part of her already knew what was bound to happen. Having made her decision, she nodded at him and squeezed his hand. As he leaned over and lightly brushed his lips against hers, Lucy opened her mouth and welcomed his kiss. His warm lips felt different this time. They weren't demanding like before. Right now, they were soft, gentle, and inviting.

Slowly, she placed her arms around his neck and leaned her body against his, wanting to feel him close. Moments later, she felt his large hands kneading her back. The pressure of his skillful fingers made her feel a little relaxed.

Laxus lowered his lips to her jawline and began kissing her there. Then, he traced light kisses from the sensitive skin behind her ear down to her neck, sending shivers up her spine.

As Lucy's body burned with intoxicating desire, she placed her hand on his bare chest, feeling his thundering heartbeat. She realized that he was feeling aroused, too, when she heard him groan at her caresses.

Then, she felt his lips pressed against hers once again. He was kissing her more firmly now, his tongue slipping into her mouth. His hands began wandering places.

Before she knew what was happening, he had lifted her from the couch and carried her to his moonlit bedroom like she weighed nothing. Then, he gently laid her down on his bed and began undressing her, kissing every delicate curve revealed.

She closed her eyes and moaned softly at his kisses and touch while running her hands through his hair.

When Lucy was finally bare, Laxus pulled back and removed his robe, revealing his muscular body. She wandered her eyes on his naked skin and then gazed at his face. He was breathing hard, his eyes filled with so much intensity and excitement that she felt a lump in her throat. She swallowed hard.

Moments later, she felt the mattress dip. She watched Laxus lie next to her. He put his arm around her and pulled her close against his body.

"Hey, are you all right?" he murmured in her ear.

"I think so," she whispered back, turning to face him.

Laxus cupped her face with his hand and kissed her again. Lucy responded to his kiss, teasing his moving lips with her tongue. The dragon slayer growled in pleasure, the sound reverberating in his chest, and let his tongue play with hers.

Wanting to catch her breath, Lucy broke the kiss and turned her face away. In a split second, he moved on top of her. He lowered his head and caressed her bare chest with his tongue.

Whispering his name, she instinctively arched her back, wanting more from him. He obliged willingly, cupping her soft mounds with his hands and smothering them with steamy kisses.

Laxus lowered his head yet again, his large hands guiding Lucy's legs around his shoulders. Then, he sank his tongue into her and proceeded to pleasure her with it. Unable to control herself, she gasped and cried out, her hands grabbing the sheets.

After a few moments, the dragon slayer straightened up and grabbed her waist. He pulled the celestial mage closer to him and then slowly pressed himself against her moist flesh.

Lucy suddenly stiffened as she felt a slight pain between her legs. She wanted to speak, but her confusion silenced her. When he caught her gaze, she gave him an imploring look as she attempted to break free from his hold.

"I'm sorry, Lucy," he murmured, holding her legs firmly on his shoulders. "I can't stop now. Forgive me."

Tears rolling out from her eyes, Lucy cried in pain as she let her lover take her. She kept hearing him say her name as he thrust deeper and deeper inside her, his voice raw.

Strangely, she could sense her body tense up again, feeling an unfamiliar sensation surging inside of her. She looked up at Laxus, and she saw understanding in his eyes. He was moving much faster now, his gaze never leaving her face.

Lucy found herself moaning loudly in pleasure. She almost didn't recognize her voice. Laxus set her legs down and then moved on top of her, pressing his body against hers. He continued to thrust himself inside her as he kissed her passionately, silencing her cries. She immediately wrapped her arms and legs around him, her fingernails scratching and digging into his back.

When the celestial mage and dragon slayer finally reached the pinnacle of their passion, they both lay in bed together, breathing hard and arms entwined.

"Are you all right there, Missy?" Laxus asked hoarsely.

Lucy nodded and moved closer to him. She felt him kiss her forehead and then place his chin on top of her head. Moments later, she could sense herself drifting off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Old Comrades**

The return trip to Crocus certainly wasn't a pleasant experience for Laxus Dreyar. For one, he had to ride in a carriage for an hour with a lethargic Lucy Heartfilia to get to the train station. Then, he had to endure another three hours of sitting on a moving train. Fortunately, he had his sound pod with him; the music helped him manage his nausea a bit during the entire journey.

"That was one heck of a ride, huh?" Lucy yawned as they finally walked toward the lively streets of Crocus. "Say, did I practically sleep throughout the trip?"

"Yeah," Laxus responded casually, straightening his coat. "You made me serve as a pillow."

"You're hardly a pillow, big guy—ugh, why does my body hurt all over?" she grumbled, stretching her arms and then grimacing.

Laxus grinned to himself and draped an arm around her, his thoughts drifting to last night's memory. Although he had wanted to seduce her again this morning, Lucy didn't give him a chance. She had nagged about returning to Crocus for Sorcerer Magazine.

"So, what time do you meet up with that guy who yells cool all the time?" he asked.

"Jason said the shoot would start at two o'clock," she replied. Then, she looked up at the sky. "It's barely noon, so I still have time to prepare."

"You should probably look for a new apartment afterward," he told her, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why should I do that when I like my apartment?"

He cleared his throat, bracing himself. "Yeah, about that… I kind of wrecked it yesterday. You know—when it all happened."

Her eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me!" she gasped, tugging at his coat. "All my writing stuff, my clothes, and—"

"They're all still there, I think," he assured her. "I can't say the same for you tiny door and furniture though."

"Laxus!"

"Look, I'm sorry. I'll help you look for a new apartment, all right? Let's just get your stuff out of there, and I'll pay the owner for the damages."

"Where will I put all my stuff in the meantime? I don't have time to look for an apartment right now." The blonde girl started to panic. "I have to prepare for my photoshoot. Otherwise, I won't get paid."

"Relax, Missy," he told her patiently. "We can put all your stuff in my room at the hotel."

But Lucy continued with her tirade as if it was going to solve her problems. He was tempted to put on his sound pod again but chose not to as he knew it would only make things worse for him. _Mavis, she sure sounded like Gramps._

"Are you even listening to me?"

"I'm hanging on to every word."

She began whining about the possibility of losing her manuscripts and starting all over again that it made him feel uncomfortable. Was she planning to guilt him all the way to her apartment?

"I'm sure they're fine, Lucy…"

"You don't know that. What if they're—?"

Having had enough, Laxus placed both his hands on her face and turned it to face him. Lucy looked surprised and then stopped in midsentence. He bent over to her, noting the faint blush on her cheeks. Before she could say anything, he pressed his lips against hers, ignoring the people's startled glances and whistles.

"Well, this is a surprise," came a familiar drawl.

Laxus felt Lucy hastily jump and push his shoulders to break the kiss. He turned his head and saw four pairs of eyes looking back at them. His eyebrows rose. Cana, Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen stood several meters away from them, smiling with an amused expression on their faces.

"You guys!" Lucy shrieked. "You're all here!"

The Thunder God Tribe came barreling toward Laxus. Then, they hugged him. Lucy and Cana also ran toward each other and then clasped their hands together, bursting into a fit of giggles.

"Hibiki contacted us through his telepathy," Evergreen said in a worried tone moments later. "He told us everything. They're on their way to investigate our client, but he had asked us not to get involved."

"I still think that we should teach that man a lesson," Freed snapped. "He played us for fools after we rescued his precious little cup!"

"Yeah, we wanted to pay him a visit," Bickslow agreed, slamming his fist into his palm. "But we wanted to wait for you first."

"Believe me, I would have gone there and finished that guy if it weren't for Ichiya," Laxus growled, his expression darkening. "He didn't want me to get involved either."

"Since when have you ever listened to Ichiya, Laxus?" Evergreen asked, raising an eyebrow.

Laxus was silent for a moment. "He helped save Lucy," he finally responded. All eyes were on him now, and he could feel the heat rising to his face. "What the hell are you all looking at me like that for?"

"Wow, so you've fallen for blondie here, huh?" Cana drawled, slinging her arm around Lucy's shoulders. She turned to smile at the celestial mage and leaned her face close to her. "Good job, Luce."

Lucy tried to squirm out of the brunette's arm. "What are you talking about, Cana? Hey, let go!" She glanced at Laxus, looking nervous, and then glared back at Cana as if daring her to say any more.

"Why don't we all head back to the hotel for lunch?" Evergreen suggested to Laxus.

"Lucy and I need to run an errand, but we won't be long," Laxus told her. "We'll meet you guys back in the hotel."

"Where are you guys heading?" Bickslow asked, grinning broadly.

"That's none of our business, Bickslow," Freed hissed. "If Laxus says we'll meet him back in the hotel, then we should follow his wish."

Cana finally removed her arm from Lucy and walked over to Freed. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her body against his. "Say, Freed, since you stole me away from Bacchus, you should at least buy me a drink in the hotel, yeah?"

Laxus watched as his most devoted comrade tried to push Cana away, although not that hard. _Now, this is a surprise._

Lucy was gaping at them, too. Then, she let out a chuckle. "Wow, this is an interesting development!"

"It's not what it looks like!" Freed said quickly, still trying to wriggle his body free from Cana. "Laxus, you have to believe me—!"

"Oh, Freed, don't get all flustered," Cana teased. "Weren't you so pissed off yesterday when you saw me with Bacchus?"

"So, what exactly happened?" Lucy asked curiously. "I thought you and Bacchus were dating?"

The brunette turned to her and grinned. "Yeah, well, I decided to prefer guys with a more chivalrous nature."

Everyone was laughing now and Freed finally relented, letting Cana kiss him on the cheek.


	17. Chapter 17

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**_Took me a few days to finally upload this chapter because I had to tweak most of the other chapters and added chapter titles. I'm such a noob. LOL. Thanks for reading my work!_**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Time to Go to Work**

It was the moment Lucy Heartfilia had always feared. When she arrived in her apartment, her scary landlord furiously reprimanded her for the damages much to her embarrassment. Thanks to Laxus Dreyar, who came forward and gave the older adult a hefty payment, he mellowed down a bit, seemingly pleased, and allowed them to gather her belongings inside.

Laxus gently patted the forlorn Lucy on the back as they stepped into the room. "This is so embarrassing," she sniffled, crossing her arms on her chest.

"I never thought anyone could be scarier than Gramps, but I changed my mind," he told her. Then, he gave a low whistle as he looked around the room. There were shards of glass windows and pieces of splintered wood everywhere.

Wasting no time, Lucy pulled out her pink-colored suitcase and opened it beside her closet. Then, she started hauling her garments and cramming them into the trunk. Moments later, she went over to her dresser drawer to gather the smaller things that she owned.

"Oh, thank the spirits!" the celestial mage cried in relief, hugging her manuscripts and unsent letters to her mother. She had found them inside her broken desk drawer, which looked half burnt.

When she finally finished packing her things, or at least the things she deemed valuable to her, Laxus carried her luggage outside so they could head back to the hotel.

"You know, maybe it's for the best. I certainly don't want to live my days always worrying whether or not I'd get yelled at by Mr. Landlord over there," Lucy remarked, stretching her arms. Then, she glanced at her towering companion. "Are you sure you don't want me to carry some of my stuff?"

"Nah," he replied gruffly. "I think I've caused you enough trouble."

She smiled at him. "Say, I never really thanked you for saving my life when I—you know. So, thanks."

"Don't mention it."

When they finally arrived in the hotel, they went upstairs to Laxus' room and dropped her luggage. Then, Lucy flung herself onto his canopy bed and sighed, stretching her tired legs.

"How are you tired when you didn't even carry anything?" Laxus chuckled, hanging his coat in an open closet.

"I don't know. For some reason, my muscles feel sore since we…" she trailed off, feeling embarrassed. "Hey, you can go ahead downstairs and join the others for lunch if you like. I'm just going to change my clothes and put on some makeup." She quickly sat up.

But Laxus was already undoing the buttons of his shirt. Moments later, Lucy could see the tribal tattoo on his upper body and the Fairy Tail emblem on his left rib cage. Suddenly, she felt her breath caught in her chest.

"Oh, you want to change your clothes, too. Okay, you go first," Lucy babbled, averting her eyes. She gripped the sheets as she felt a treacherous blush crept up her face.

"You're nervous again," he remarked, tossing his shirt in a nearby basket.

"Yeah, I'm always nervous whenever I'm alone with you," she confessed, snickering. She met his gaze and gave him a flirty wink.

Growling, the dragon slayer walked over toward her with his eyes blazing. He pushed her back onto the bed and moved on top of her. Then, he lowered his face and kissed her lips fervently.

_Maybe I shouldn't tease him like that, _she thought, closing her eyes and sighing contentedly. She opened her mouth and returned his kiss, calmly placing her arms around his neck. His lips felt really warm that she couldn't help but enjoy them.

Moments later, she could feel him removing her arms from his neck and then pushing them onto the bed. Confused, she opened her eyes and realized that he was trying to pin both her wrists rather tightly above her head with one hand. The gesture felt unnatural to her.

_Hold on. What's he doing?_

His other hand started unbuttoning her top as he kissed her more intensely.

Lucy turned her face away to catch her breath. "Hey—can we talk about this for a moment?"

"Talk about what?" he asked brusquely. "Am I not allowed to touch my lover?"

He lifted her skirt and started skimming her thighs with his hand, watching her expression as he did so. She felt her skin grow hot under his touch that she let out a gasp.

_Lover._

"Let's—let's not get carried away," she stammered, trying to wriggle free from his tight grip. "Listen, I need to get ready for work."

"Ah?"

Spirits, his hold was starting to hurt, but somehow the pain triggered something in her that she couldn't quite explain.

"Does it hurt?" he murmured in her ear. Lucy knew exactly what he was talking about.

_Of course, it does. It hurts a lot, but_—

"This seems to excite you," he mused, tracing soft kisses up her arm. "Tell me."

"Yes, it does," she answered him honestly. "But this feels weird. Please let go. You're hurting me."

Lucy felt him stiffen. She might have said something that struck a nerve because he let go immediately and rolled onto his back beside her.

She massaged her aching wrists. "What's with you?"

Laxus sat up and reached out to hold her hands, gently this time. Then, he started rubbing his thumbs carefully on her wrists as if to comfort the pain. "Forgive me."

"Well?" she prompted. Even when her wrists were hurting, the way he was touching them right now still stirred up something inside her.

"I just—I don't like people taking pictures of you in a bikini, all right?" he blurted out. "How many morons are there in the photo studio? Tell me."

Lucy opened and closed her mouth. Was Laxus jealous? She didn't dare believe it, so she had to ask. "Are you—like, being possessive with me right now?"

"Yeah," he said simply, lifting her hand and pressing his lips to her fingers.

"And you called me your lover," she pressed, feeling tingles all over her body.

He lowered her hand and then raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah," he said again. "What are you getting at?"

She shrugged. "I was just wondering if it was your way of confessing to me."

"Ah? My way of confessing?"

Lucy shrugged again. "I was just wondering…"

The dragon slayer stared at her for a moment, looking flustered. "And if it was? I mean, I do want you."

She thought for a moment. "You mean, you desire me," she suggested, watching his handsome face.

"Yeah, that, too."

Lucy sat up and smoothed her hair. "You know, I was actually thinking about asking Jason to hire me as an editor for Sorcerer Magazine."

"You'll start writing again?" he asked in a surprised yet pleased tone.

She nodded. "Yeah. I think it's about time. I told you I wasn't interested in modeling. And I don't think my lover would want me to stay a bikini model forever." She winked at him playfully.

"I mean, you can still wear a bikini in front of me if you're really into wearing those things," he muttered. Then, he frowned. "Wait a minute. Did you just call me your lover?"

"Is my hearing problem starting to rub off on you, big guy?" she teased.

He chuckled, scratching his head. "Yeah, I guess so." Then, he pulled her toward him for a quick kiss. "You should get ready for work before I get tempted again."

She laughed. "Okay, but you have to turn around first."

He scowled. "But I've already seen you—!"

"Doesn't matter. Now, please turn around."

Laxus kept his back turned as Lucy took her clothes off and changed into a pair of red bikini. Moments later, she donned a flattering red blouse and white skirt. After she had applied her makeup, she finally checked herself out in the mirror. "Okay, I'm ready!" she said brightly, satisfied.

The celestial mage and the dragon slayer went downstairs and then joined their friends in the hotel dining area. They noticed that everyone was already done eating their lunch but lingered on the table for dessert. Lucy did her best to finish her plate as quickly as she could.

"What's your deal, blondie?" Cana asked, chuckling. "Are you that hungry?"

"It's my job. I have to meet up with Jason at the studio in about forty-five minutes. I can't be late," Lucy explained after downing a glass of juice. Then, she stood up. "You'll have to excuse me, you guys."

"Have fun, Lucy," Evergreen said, raising her glass to her. "We'll take care of Laxus for you."

"Uh, yeah, okay," Lucy said sheepishly. "Bye!"

She darted toward the hotel's exit. She didn't have time to brush her teeth, so she pulled out a piece of mint gum from her bag. She chewed on it and let the fresh mint swirl in her mouth.

The studio was still a bit far ahead. Lucy wondered if she could make it on time. If she was going to ask Jason to hire her as an editor for Sorcerer Magazine, then she shouldn't be giving him a reason to reject her request. _Oh, please don't let me be late!_

Suddenly, she heard a roar of a vehicle engine behind her. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw a familiar guy with spiky orange hair riding a magic motorcycle. He wore a pair of tinted sunglasses and a dark suit.

"You need a ride, mistress?"

"Spirits, Loke!" Lucy exclaimed, stopping dead in her tracks.

"Hop on," the celestial spirit offered, halting his bike. "Sorry if it took me a while to get back to you. I was recovering in the celestial spirit world—but I'm okay now." Then, he winked and offered her a pink helmet bearing a bold scribble that reads, "I LOVE LUCY!"

_Well, that's Loke for you…_

"Hey, I'm glad you're okay," she said sincerely. "Well, I do need to get to the studio fast, so I can't refuse this ride." She took the helmet from him and put it on her head. Then, she firmly secured the strap under her chin.

"Don't worry, mistress," the lion said as she climbed on the back of the motorcycle with him. He glanced over his shoulder to look at her and then pushed his sunglasses up his nose, grinning handsomely. "I got your back."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Mystery Solved**

Thanks to Hibiki's magic ability to locate people of his choosing, the Trimens had found Laxus Dreyar and his friends. As expected, the fully dressed men started hitting on Cana and Evergreen the moment they arrived in the hotel dining area much to Bickslow and Freed's chagrin.

The dragon slayer drummed his fingers on the table as he listened to the Trimens; they started to reveal everything that they had found out about their mysterious client. He had to admit that they did a great job with their investigation.

"So, our client happens to be part of a cult called the Avatar," Freed seethed, narrowing his eyes. "Is that what you're saying?"

"That's right," Hibiki responded. "When we were in his mansion, we found a lot of items in there that contained dark magic. At first glance, you'd think their ordinary stuff, you know, like—portraits, golden cups, or—"

"Keys," Laxus finished, his teeth clenched. Had he known about this, he would have sent his client flying along with those clowns who stole the magic goblet. He realized that those thieves were probably just pawns.

"Come down, Laxus," Evergreen implored her comrade. She turned to the Trimens, pointing her hand fan at them. "Can you tell us how you're able to get inside his mansion?"

"Well, we pretended to sell him some of Ichiya's perfume," Eve explained to her. "The client wanted to inspect each bottle, so he welcomed us into his home." He held up a device that contained a glowing lacrima.

"And what's that supposed to be?" Cana asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This thing can detect cursed items," the petite boy replied, now leaning forward and holding the device closer to the magic card user for her to inspect. "I used it earlier during our investigation. Pretty cool, huh?"

"So, that's how you saw through the stuff with dark magic inside the mansion," Bickslow mused. "That device has the same magic as my dolls."

Eve nodded. "Yeah, it's quite handy," he told the seith magic user.

"What else did you notice in there?" Freed asked curiously, his face grim.

"It was strange," Ren recalled, rubbing his chin. "There weren't even butlers or maids inside the mansion. The man had a lovely daughter, though." Then, he dramatically looked away. "She offered us refreshments, but it's not like I'm into her or anything—"

"Anyway," Hibiki pressed on, "we found a mark on her wrist, which she was trying to hide from us. I was able to search the symbol through my archives. It was the mark of a cult that worshipped Zeref. The cult's name is called the Avatar."

"Avatar, huh," Bickslow repeated. "Another one of Zeref's followers. Well, this can't be good."

"Then, what are we still doing here?" Cana slapped her hand on the table. "Let's swoop in there and get those guys! There must be other cult members hiding in that mansion."

"Well, there's really no need for you to do that," Eve told her quickly. He turned to his other comrades. "They're probably locked up in jail by now. We had reported them to the Magic Council, and the army came for them almost instantly. A lot of things in the mansion were either confiscated or destroyed."

So, the Trimens could handle a mission pretty well then, Laxus thought. He had underestimated them because he thought they were weak. It was like what Ichiya had told him—they could solve a case without having to use their fists. The idea still felt unnatural to him. Blue Pegasus was, indeed, far different from Fairy Tail.

"That's too bad," he said disdainfully. "It would've been satisfying to knock them all out in a fight." He cracked his knuckles. "I can't forgive them for keeping and distributing illegal stuff in this city."

"As expected of Laxus," Freed said solemnly, nodding his head in approval.

"I understand what you're trying to say, Laxus," Eve said, "but Master Ichiya said that if we could settle the problem without violence, the city wouldn't have to suffer unnecessary damages—"

"Yeah, I know that," Laxus growled at the younger mage, cutting him off.

Hibiki appeared to decide to change the subject. "So, where's Lucy headed?" he asked. "I saw her climbing onto a magic vehicle with Loke earlier on our way here."

There was a sudden change in the atmosphere on the table. Evergreen glared at Hibiki, who looked surprised by her reaction.

"Ah?" The dragon slayer frowned, not believing his ears. _She's with Loke?_

Ren shook his head and grinned knowingly. "Real smooth, Hibiki."

Cana laughed and then nudged Laxus playfully. "You know, you should've gone with her, Sparky," she teased. "You can't just let blondie run around freely like that. You never know who might take her away."

"Just shut up," Laxus said huffily, looking away. He knew that the magic card user was only jesting. He wasn't threatened. Or was he? Lucy and Loke only saw each other as friends, and that was it, he decided.

"I guess our job here is done," Hibiki said briskly, rising to his feet. "We need to fly back to the guild now."

"Aren't you coming with us?" Eve asked, looking at Laxus and the Thunder God Tribe. "We could really use your help in entertaining more clients in the guildhall."

"Nah. We're staying here for another night," Bickslow replied. "You guys can go ahead."

"Suit yourself," Ren said, waving his hand. "See you guys tomorrow."

The Trimens said their goodbyes and left the table. Cana and the Thunder God Tribe were now looking at Laxus.

The dragon slayer raised an eyebrow at them. "What?" he asked irritably.

"How about we all go to the photo studio and visit Lucy?" Evergreen suggested cautiously. "We don't have anything else to do today, right?" She glanced at Cana, Freed, and Bixlow and cocked her head.

Freed and Bixlow wordlessly nodded their heads while Cana leaned over and waited for Laxus' response. Laxus stared at them suspiciously—they seemed convinced that he was worried about Lucy. Unbelievable!

"Fine, whatever," he finally replied. "But only because we have nothing else better to do."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: The Photo Studio**

Lucy Heartfilia sneezed. She hoped that no one was talking about her unless they were saying good things like how cute she was. She was already in the photo studio with Jason and the rest of the staff from Sorcerer Magazine. They just finished setting up the beach backdrop so that they could start with the shoot.

The celestial mage had to perform a force gate closure on Loke earlier because the lion had teased her about wanting to linger around while she was working. She certainly didn't want the resident playboy to ogle at her while she was in her bikini.

"This is so cool!" Jason exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands. "Okay, Lucy, why don't you stay over there and do your thing? Photographers—get ready!"

Lucy removed her robe and walked confidently toward the beach backdrop in her red bikini. She had done this so many times before, so she knew which angle she would look best in front of the camera. After a series of different poses and snapshots, Jason called for a timeout.

Sighing, Lucy donned her robe again and then let a couple of makeup artists apply a few touches on her face and brush her hair. She badly wanted to speak with Jason about hiring her as one of the editors for Sorcerer Magazine. It shouldn't be a problem since he always seemed to favor her.

"You sure have a lot on your mind today, Lucy," Jason said as he approached her. "Is everything all right?" He smiled cheerfully at her.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Jason," she replied sheepishly, fluffing up her bangs. "I… kind of want to talk to you about something though."

"Well, let's hear it!" he said eagerly, clapping his hands again. "What's it about?"

Lucy hesitated. "Well, I kind of want to work for Sorcerer Magazine… as an editor."

Jason's eyebrows rose. "An editor?" he repeated.

"Yeah, I mean—it's always been my dream, you know? If I have to start from scratch, I'd be willing to go through all that. If you hire me, I promise that you won't regret it."

"Hmm..." Jason looked thoughtful. "Well, I suppose I could take you in as an editor-in-training. I have to tell you, though," he warned, "it's not going to be easy. Trainees are treated differently compared to models. Are you sure you're up for the job?"

"Yes!" Lucy replied happily, clasping her hands together. "Yes, yes! So, like—when can I start?"

"You can start tomorrow. You're going to have to wake up early and be here at 6 o'clock."

The celestial mage laughed and hugged Jason. "Oh, thank you, Jason! I promise I'll work hard!"

The blond reporter patted her on the back and then drew back. "It's cool, Lucy. In the meantime, let's finish today's shoot, okay?"

Lucy smiled at him and nodded. "Let's do it!"

"Hey, Jason," one of the female staff hollered from the doorway. "Are we expecting an audience today?"

"Huh? Not that I know of—why?"

"There seem to be five mages here who are claiming to be Lucy's friends. What should I tell them?"

Startled, Lucy craned her neck to see the people who were at the doorway, but the female staff, who was standing in between, blocked her view.

"Mages?" Jason yelped. Then, his expression suddenly brightened. "Cool! Let them in, then!"

The celestial mage watched in horror as Cana, Bixlow, Freed, Evergreen, and—for crying out loud—Laxus entered the doorway. _What in the spirit world are they all doing here?_

"Hey, blondie," Cana greeted, winking at her.

Lucy could feel the heat rising to her face. "What—what are you all doing here?" she stammered.

"This is so cool!" Jason screeched. "I can't believe I have Laxus Dreyar and his Thunder God Tribe in front of me. And of course, the dazzling Cana Alberona is here, too!"

Laxus ignored the blond reporter and met Lucy's baffled eyes. "Don't ask me. This was Evergreen's idea."

"Oh, please, Laxus," Evergreen said, waving her hand fan. "You wanted to come here."

"Oi, I never said that!" the dragon slayer said indignantly. "Unbelievable!"

Jason dropped to his knees and bowed before Cana and Evergreen. "Please! We're doing a bikini shoot for Sorcerer Magazine. It would be an honor if you all could do a series of poses with our Lucy here!"

"What do you think, Ever? Should we give it a try?" Cana challenged the fairy magic user. "Or are you afraid I might outshine you?"

Evergreen scoffed. "Oh, I'm certainly a better model that you are!"

Jason looked up and beamed at them. Then, he turned to Laxus, Freed, and Bickslow. "Could you also—?"

"Forget it!" Laxus snarled, turning on his heel and walking toward the nearest seat. Freed and Bickslow followed him; both looked like they were trying to hide their snickering.

"Now, Lucy, why don't you escort these lovely ladies to the dressing room first to change?" Jason said.

"I—Okay," Lucy stuttered, still feeling flustered. She glanced at the two older mages. "Hey, uh, the dressing room's over here. Follow me."

She led Cana and Evergreen into the dressing room. Then, she motioned toward an open closet that was full of different pairs of bikini wear. The older mages started rummaging for the ones that they liked. When they had finally found them, they donned them quickly and then stood in front of the mirror.

"So, who do you think looks better, Luce?" Cana said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Answer wrongly, and I'm going to turn you into a stone," Evergreen hissed, adjusting her eyeglasses up her nose.

"You guys—!" Lucy said helplessly. "Would you mind telling me what you're doing in my workplace? I mean, I'm glad to see you guys and all, but…"

"What's the matter, blondie?" Cana asked, turning to face her. "Does it bother you that Laxus is here?"

"Well—yeah."

Evergreen laughed. "I knew this would happen. Oh, Lucy, you're such a little girl." Then, she told the celestial mage about their encounter with the Trimens back in the hotel.

Lucy gasped. "So, you guys came here because Laxus got upset about me and Loke?" she asked incredulously. "But Loke and I are just friends. Why would Laxus—?"

"Oh, Lucy." Evergreen looked at her pitifully. "Don't try to be dense. Laxus is still a man. Of course, he wouldn't want his lover to be getting too close with other men."

Lucy sighed. "Yeah, I get it. The only reason why I rode with Loke was that I didn't want to be late for work."

"We know, blondie," Cana said sympathetically. "And I'm sure Laxus knows that, too. Now, come on," she urged. "Let's move our butts and show them what we got!"

Modeling in a bikini with Cana and Evergreen had proved to be more fun than Lucy imagined. Jason and Bickslow were loudly cheering on them while Laxus and Freed were trying their best to focus their attention on the floor.

"Okay, that's a wrap, everyone!" Jason yelled, clapping his hands. "I can't believe it! This is the best shoot ever!"

Lucy watched as Bickslow rushed forward and gave Evergreen a peck on the cheek. The fairy magic user looked flustered and pleased at the same time. Cana, on the other hand, laughed while Freed walked over to her and reprimanded her about her skimpy outfit.

Her gaze finally rested on Laxus, who stood up from his chair with arms folded on his chest. She nervously approached him as she covered herself with her robe.

"Hey," she said cautiously. "Sorry if it took so long to finish. I—"

Before she could complete her sentence, she heard a loud thunderclap. She couldn't comprehend what was going on, but she felt her body turn into something else. The next thing she knew, she found herself lying on a soft bed with Laxus on top of her.

Bewildered, the celestial mage opened her mouth to protest, but the dragon slayer already silenced her with a firm kiss.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Without Reservation**

Laxus Dreyar had used his lightning magic to teleport them both back in the hotel room where he could give his thoughts and emotions free rein. This divine mage, Lucy Heartfilia—she didn't realize what a struggle it had been for him at the photo studio.

He wanted to teach her a lesson, but he also wanted to pleasure her. Maybe he could do both—that would be a glorious feat, he thought as he watched the small figure underneath him, her face flushed and eyes filled with desire.

"Is that all you can do?" came Lucy's alluring voice after he had aggressively kissed her.

The dragon slayer blinked, uncertain if he had heard her correctly. Had he imagined it? The celestial mage would usually protest and ask him to be gentle with her. However, she was looking at him now like she was daring him to control her, dominate her.

Before he could change his mind, he reached out to her robe and tore it open. Then, he yanked at her red bikini top and lowered his lips on her soft mounds, kissing and nipping at them one after the other. He heard her sighed in contentment, her hands buried in his hair.

"Take off your clothes," her soft voice taunted him again.

"Ah?"

"I want you to take off your clothes."

Aroused by her audacity, he drew back and pulled off his shirt. Then, he cupped her face with his hand and gazed into her eyes. He wanted to see if he could sense fear in her, but she was bold as brass.

She kept looking at his body, her tongue moistening her lips. He could hear her strong heartbeat, but she wasn't nervous. Not the least bit.

"What is it, Lucy?" he asked her.

Without answering him, she placed her hand at the back of his neck and lowered his face down on hers for another heady kiss. Laxus opened his mouth widely and used his tongue to explore hers. When he felt her bit his tongue teasingly, he growled in pleasure and pressed his body against hers.

In a swift motion, he brought her on top of him as he rolled on to his back. Breaking the kiss, Lucy pushed herself up in a sitting position and straddled him. Laxus stared at her face and tousled hair, and then he lowered his eyes and saw the red marks that he had left on her chest. He lifted his hand and skimmed the light bruises with his fingers—the sight fascinated him, yet it made him feel a little guilty.

All of a sudden, the celestial mage started fumbling with his belt. Moments later, she slid it off his pants and threw it on the floor. Then, she undid the button. But before she could unzip his pants, the dragon slayer stopped her, his hand encircling her wrist. _What's gotten into her?_

"Oi, Missy," he growled. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Let go," she said, trying to pull free from his grasp.

"Don't get me wrong—I like what you're doing and where this is heading, but—"

"Yeah?"

Laxus sat up and held her in his arms. Then, he laughed. "It's just—this isn't like you."

He stiffened and drew a sharp breath when Lucy leaned closer and placed soft kisses on his chest, her hands gliding along his shoulders. Then, she traveled her lips on his neck, nibbling at the skin and using her tongue to smooth her bites.

"Lucy," he murmured as he rubbed her back with his fingers. He could feel his strength dissipating from his body, which was rare under such circumstances. He felt her small hands push back his shoulders, and he fell back on to the bed.

The celestial mage stripped off the remainder of her clothes and was now completely bare in front of his eyes. She unzipped his pants and gently pulled him out. He shuddered and groaned at her touch.

Then, the celestial mage slowly positioned herself in between. Laxus held his breath as she lowered herself on him. She was hot and moist, and she made him want to abandon all of his self-control.

Unable to stop himself, he thrust himself inside her, grabbing her by the waist. Lucy moaned loudly this time, her eyes tightly shut and lips parted slightly.

"Lucy," the dragon slayer said again. He watched the rise and fall of her chest as he continued to shove himself inside her. Then, he cupped her delectable mounds with his hands and squeezed them together. He heard her whisper his name over and again as she rode his thrusts.

Laxus already wanted to come inside her. However, Lucy seemed to have other plans. She quickly removed herself on top of him, much to his dismay, and knelt on the bed. She looked at him for a moment and then cocked her head shyly. _Oh_.

Grinning to himself, he sat up and then positioned himself behind her. Then, she lowered her upper body on the bed and raised her shapely rear toward him. Laxus held her by the hips and slowly pushed himself inside her again. He let out a loud groan—she was much tighter in this position.

Lucy whimpered in response, welcoming him deep inside her. The dragon slayer bent forward and trailed intimate kisses on her back, sliding up his hand underneath to caress her moist flesh. Then, he straightened up again and kept ramming himself into her until the celestial mage cried out.

Moments later, he grabbed a fistful of her silky hair and turned her head to the side so he could see her face, which was now a brilliant shade of red. Her eyes remained shut as if she was enjoying the pleasure he was giving her.

"Laxus," Lucy moaned. Just by watching her expression aroused him even more. Mavis, she looked so beautiful, even when her hair was a mess and her face all red and sweaty.

"Yes, my love," the dragon slayer responded hoarsely. He noticed that her arms were already shaking from trying to support herself. He knew that he needed to stop soon.

"I… Can't… Anymore…"

He smiled triumphantly. "As you wish."

He pounded into her more roughly than before. He moved faster and faster, and then, with a groan, he finally came inside her, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hips. When the last of his strength had left him, he fell on the bed beside her and lay on his stomach, breathing raggedly.

Lucy stretched her limp body on the bed and heaved a sigh, her eyes closed. Laxus reached out his hand to her and pushed back her bangs. He wiped off the sweat on her forehead and then tucked loose strands of her hair behind her ear.

After a few moments, he heard his lover let out a soft snore. _What the hell? _Laxus snorted in amusement. Lucy had fallen asleep.

"You're unbelievable, you know that?" he whispered, pulling her closer to him. Then, he shut his eyes and decided to rest for a bit.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: I'm Coming With You**

Someone was caressing her face, and the warm touch awoke Lucy Heartfilia from her slumber. She stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Laxus Dreyar smiling lazily at her, his tender eyes looking rather sleepy.

"You all right there, Missy?" he whispered to her, his fingers sliding down her neck, making her shiver.

"I think so," she whispered back. "What time is it?"

"It's past dinner time."

"Really?" Lucy groaned. "Is everyone back here yet?"

"Yeah."

"How'd you know?"

"I could smell their scent."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot you could do that."

"Do you want to know how you smell like?"

Lucy blushed. "No. And please don't tell me."

Laxus laughed softly and leaned his face closer to her. "Hey, listen."

"What is it?"

"The Thunder God Tribe and I—we're heading back to the Blue Pegasus guild tomorrow morning."

"So soon?"

"Yeah."

"Oh—okay." Lucy closed her eyes and sighed.

"You all right?"

"Yeah. I almost forgot that I need to be at the studio first thing tomorrow morning."

Laxus' brows furrowed. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Oh, no, I haven't told you yet—Jason hired me as an editor-in-training." She winked at him.

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. Today's my last day as a model. Bet you're happy."

Laxus grunted. "Can you blame me? Anyway, congratulations. I'm glad you got what you wanted. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks. Hey, can I ask you something?"

"I'm listening."

"Should we write and send letters now that we're going to be far away from each other?"

Laxus sighed and scratched his head. "Yeah—about that…"

"Well, let me know if you find another lover in Blue Pegasus."

"Be serious."

"I am."

"What about you and Loke?"

Lucy chuckled. "What about me and Loke? We're friends."

"It doesn't seem that way to me." His faced darkened.

"Get real. I'm not interested in Loke."

"So, who are you interested in?"

"I'm only interested in you," she said simply.

"All right." Laxus blew out a breath. "Well, it's not like I won't visit you here in Crocus."

"Won't you write to me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"I'm not good with writing letters. And I have a terrible penmanship."

Lucy laughed. "So, how will I know when you're coming to visit me?"

"Oh, you'll know," Laxus growled, cupping her face.

"Hey."

"Ah?"

"Kiss me."

Without hesitation, Laxus leaned forward and brushed her lips with his. Lucy kissed him back and placed her hand on his cheek.

"You know," the dragon slayer murmured against her lips, "you quite surprised me earlier."

"Yeah, I was kind of surprised at myself, too." She gently nipped at his lower lip. "I never knew that I'd like you this much."

Laxus grunted and drew back from her. "Lucy?"

"Yeah?"

"Come with me."

"What?"

"I said come with me. I don't want to be far from you, and I know that you don't want to be far from me."

"Well—that's true, but…"

"One day, I'm going to find Gramps, and we'll rebuild Fairy Tail. If you're with me, we can do it together."

"…_And as soon as I find Gramps, I'll ask him to reinstate our guild even if that means I have to beat that old geezer up."_

Lucy felt a lump in her throat, remembering what Laxus had told her during their first date. She swallowed hard, blinking back her tears.

Being an editor in Sorcerer Magazine would be a big step toward achieving her dream as a writer, but her greatest dream of all—

"I'm sorry. I know it's selfish of me to ask you to give up your career when I don't even know where to look for Gramps. I just…" He took her hand and kissed it. "I think I'm in love with you."

—was to be in Fairy Tail with her friends and the man whom she was falling in love with.

"Laxus," she whispered, letting her tears fall.

"Hey, don't cry," he told her, wiping her tears away. "It's okay if you can't come with me. I'll definitely visit you here in Crocus. I just thought I'd let you know how I feel about you before I leave tomorrow."

Lucy chuckled despite her tears. "No, you misunderstand." She took a deep breath. "Laxus—I think I'm in love with you, too."

The dragon slayer stared at her, his mouth slightly open. "What does that mean?" he asked hoarsely.

"It means that I'm coming with you," she told him. Yes, that was her decision.

Laxus rolled on to his back and flung an arm over his eyes as if to hide his emotions. The celestial mage wasn't fooled as she saw his lips quivering. Hoisting herself up with one elbow, she leaned forward and kissed his lips.

He stiffened at first, but then he sank into her kiss, holding her head lightly with his hand. When Lucy pulled back, she saw tears rolling out from his eyes.

"Do you know what I'm going to do first when I get home to my apartment?" he murmured.

Lucy wiped away his tears and kissed him on the cheek. "No. Tell me," she said softly.

"I'm going to finish that damn romance novel Gramps gave me."

They both laughed and embraced each other.

"So, you're really coming with me?"

"Yeah. I'm coming with you."

* * *

**_*THE END*_**

Thanks for reading my first ever fanfiction, you guys. I know it needs more work and everything, but I really enjoyed writing it. I hope to write some more stories and hopefully improve my writing and story plots.

xoxo,

madaquarius


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